It is situated on rocks rich in lead and silver and during a lengthy period in the 18th and 19th centuries, Ystumtuen was a busy mining village. With the demise of the lead mining industry and in particular the closure of Cwm Rheidol mine, the population dwindled rapidly with the last ancestral population disappearing in the 1970s.
Ystumtuen, situated on rocks rich in lead and silver, was a bustling mining village during the 18th and 19th centuries. The decline of lead mining, particularly the closure of Cwm Rheidol mine, led to a rapid population decrease, with the last inhabitants disappearing in the 1970s.