Talyclyn Colliery

Pontardulais, Amman Valley 574036

This mine was opened in 1870 approximately half a mile north of Wernos Colliery. It was listed in 1878 as being owned by a W. Masters and in 1882/3 by R.E. Bill while in those years the manager was W.H. White. In 1885/7 this colliery was owned by the Talyclyn Colliery and Firebrick Company and managed by John White. It was working the Golden Vein by the pillar & stall method of coal extraction using naked lights. Ventilation was by a furnace.

On the 6th of November 1889, Llewellyn Morris, aged 40 years and an overman had sent a train loaded with rails up the slant and was walking down to a lower landing when the shackle or capping at the end of the rope broke and the tram ran down and killed him.

In 1893/6 it was still owned by the Talyclyn Colliery and Firebrick Company of Pontardulais and employed 8 men underground and 4 men on the surface producing house and manufacturing coal as well as clay.

It was owned at the beginning of the 20th Century by Thomas Williams and Sons (Llangennech) Limited. One of the ‘sons’ of the title of the Company, Evan Williams, went on to become the Chairman of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. In 1908 it employed 19 men. It abandoned the Golden Seam in January 1910. Talyclyn Colliery was still managed by Thomas Williams and employed 20 men in 1913/5 and 17 men in 1916. In 1918 it employed 24 men with the manager being Thomas Rolfe. Mr. Rolfe was still the manager in 1927 when this mine employed 57 men. In 1935 the manager was J. Beynon, and there was 5 men working at the surface of the mine and 24 men working underground in the Swansea-Four-Feet seam producing manufacturing and steam coals. In 1943 the manager was R.T. Davies and it employed 91 men working underground in the Fiery, Six-Feet and Golden seams and 38 men working at the surface of the mine.

In August 1945 five colliers at this mine were fined £30 each by the local magistrates for “not discharging their duties with sufficient skill and diligence in that they had not produced seven tons of coal per shift.”

On Nationalisation in 1947 this colliery was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.1 (Swansea) Area, and at that time employed 35 men working at the surface of the mine and 84 men working underground in the Swansea-Six-Feet and Swansea-Three-Feet seams. The manager was still R.T. Davies. In 1948 it employed 79 men working underground and 36 men working at the surface of the men which produced 20,000 tons.

At this mine the Lower Grovesend seam was 34 inches thick, the Upper Gelli was 24 inches, the Lower Gelli was 21 inches, the Pennyscallen was 30 inches, the Loughor was 17 inches, the Four-Feet was 50 inches, the Five-Feet was 68 inches, the Six-Feet was 60 inches, the Three-Feet was 28 inches and the Two-Feet seam was 24 inches thick.

Talyclyn Colliery was closed by the NCB on the 6th of February 1952 and the trams, lamps and equipment transferred to Morlais.

The Talyclyn No.2 Level was listed as a licensed mine in 1955/7 being worked by H.V. Bowen of Gorseinon.

Some statistics:

• 1899: Manpower: 11.
• 1900: Manpower: 21.
• 1901: Manpower: 20.
• 1907: Manpower: 20.
• 1908: Manpower: 19.
• 1909: Manpower: 19.
• 1910: Manpower: 16.
• 1912: Manpower: 22.
• 1913/5: Manpower: 20.
• 1916: Manpower: 17.
• 1918: Manpower: 24.
• 1920: Manpower: 17.
• 1922: Manpower: 25.
• 1923: Manpower: 41.
• 1924: Manpower: 58.
• 1925: Manpower: 46.
• 1926: Manpower: 57.
• 1927: Manpower: 69.
• 1929: Manpower: 20.
• 1930: Manpower: 29.
• 1932: Manpower: 20.
• 1933: Manpower: 19 underground figures only.
• 1935: Manpower: 29.
• 1937: Manpower: 110 underground figures only.
• 1940/2: Manpower: 182.
• 1943: Manpower: 129.
• 1944: Manpower: 125.
• 1947: Manpower: 119.
• 1948: Manpower: 115.
• 1950: Manpower: 109.

Information supplied by Ray Lawrence and used here with his permission.