BENALLT COLLIERY
Pontardulais 581044
This was a small level that abandoned the Benallt seam in October 1923. It was opened in 1889 as Benallt and Forest and by 1900 it employed 8 men underground and 1 man on the surface. In 1901 to 1905 it employed 6 men, and in 1907/8 when it was owned by Mathias and Howells it employed 9 men. In 1910 it employed 6 men working the Forest seam, while in 1917 the owners are listed as not being associated with the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. At that time it was owned by the Benallt Colliery Company which was formerly called Thomas Howells. In 1918 it employed 23 men underground and 8 men on the surface while in 1923 it employed 18 men. The only other mention we can find of Thomas Howells is in 1913 when he owned a Cwm Pit at Foxhole which employed 19 men. David Howells was the owner in 1923 but was heavily in debt due to the mine flooding which prompted the debtors to seize the mime and sell the machinery off.
BISHOPS COLLIERY
Llanon.
This anthracite slant was working the Big Vein around 1840. Its plans were later kept by Cleeve’s Western Valleys Anthracite Collieries Ltd.
BLAENAU SARON COLLIERY
Llandebie. 600130.
On the 7th of May 1879, at the Blaynea mine, Llnadebie, Thomas Davies, aged 23 years and a collier, died when run over by trams. Records cannot be found for it before this date and is probably the same level as Saron Colliery.
This mine employed two men in 1912 and was worked in 1913 by the Cambrian Anthracite Limited when it employed 14 men. The manager was the same as for Blaenau Colliery, Thomas Mayberry.
BODYST UCHAF COLLIERY
Bettws, Amman Valley (655123)
This was a small mine that was worked under license from the National Coal Board and was owned in 1980/8 by the Bodyst Uchaf Colliery Company of Ammanford. It worked the No.1 Rhondda seam and appears to have closed in March 1995.
There was also a slant driven under Bodyst Uchaf farmlands in 1890 into the Red Vein. It was opened by Henry Herbert in 1890 who sold it to the Ammanford Colliery Company Limited who then closed it and opened Ammanford No.1 Slant.
BOLGOED COLLIERY
Pontardulais 595031.
This pit was abandoned in 1882. In 1888 William Williams tried to open it but nothing came of it until 1890 when he decided to sink a new pit. It wasn’t until 1893 that he struck coal but then abandoned the pit in 1894.
The Bolgoed Slant was at 597030 and was opened by the Bolgoed Coal and Brick Company in 1908 to work the Penscallen seam. In 1910 it was worked by the Pontardulais Coal & Brick Company and employed 11 men in 1912. It was abandoned in 1916.
BOUNCE COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 712137.
This level was owned by Isaac John Thomas in 1923 when it employed nine men working the Trigloyn seam.
BRYNLLOI COLLIERY
Amman Valley (671130)
This was the name of a mine working in 1878/1882 under the ownership of Jones, Rees and Sons, being managed at that time by R. Jones. There were also Brynlloi Pits at 673133/673134 (perhaps the same mine?) that were abandoned in 1884. AAC re-opened them for pumping water to protect Gelliceidrim colliery between 1931 and c1938. The Amman Anthracite Company also opened a Brynlloi slant in 1931 but we have no further information on it.
It worked the Middle, Little, Brass (around 1880) and Trigloyn (around 1882 – 1887) seams and abandoned the Little seam in 1885. Its plans were kept by Cleeve’s Western Valleys Anthracite Collieries Limited.
This was also the name of a licensed mine working in the 1970s under the ownership of John Lewis which was at 687129.
BRYN VEIN COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 713146
This was a small anthracite slant that was opened in 1926 by Thomas Howells and employed three men when it was abandoned on the 31st of October 1927.
BUCKLAND PIT
Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Amman Valley 703103.
This mine was opened in 1927 and held until 1927 by the Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Colliery Company Limited. In 1932 it was owned by Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries. Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited was the giant of the anthracite section of the Coalfield. Formed in 1923 it firstly absorbed Cleeve’s Western Valleys Anthracite Collieries and its subsidiary, Gellyceidrim Collieries, followed by Gumos Anthracite Collieries and Yniscedwyn Anthracite Collieries. In 1926 it merged with United Anthracite Collieries to control 2,000,000 tons of annual output, 40% of the output of the anthracite ‘field. The Company continued to expand until in 1934 it produced 4,300,000 tons of coal from 26 pits employing 13,779 men. Along with the nation’s other mining companies Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries was Nationalised in 1947.
CAE COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley
A colliery of this name was owned by J.W. Paton. It employed eight men in 1927 and seven men in 1928. Probably the same slant as Glynhir.
CASTELL COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 714135.
This slant worked between 1935 and 1945. It was owned by the Brynamman Unemployed Welfare Committee and was driven into the Black Vein on the agreement that the coal produced was for their own use only. Produced 655 tons of coal in 1936.
COEDAMMAN COLLIERY
Amman Valley 664131.
It was opened in 1925 and abandoned the Pencraig seam in November 1927 and employed 32 men at that time. It was owned by George Leonard Davies.
CWMAMMAN COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley
The only listings that we have found for this drift is in 1920 when it was owned by Amman Anthracite Collieries Limited, employed 94 men with J.L. Harris the manager and in 1924 when it employed 80 men. See Amman Colliery.
CWMDRYSIEN COLLIERY
Amman Valley
All that we know about this anthracite mine is that it worked the Big Vein around the year 1866 and under the parishes of Cwmamman and Llangiwg. There was also a small mine of this name that worked between 1942 and 1943 by J.G. Williams with the coal produced for his own consumption.
CWM GARNANT COLLIERY
Bettws, Amman Valley
This anthracite slant worked the Peacock seam around 1861, and the Trigloyn seam around 1866, with a slant subtitled Perkin’s working the Trigloyn seam around 1857. It was owned by James and Aubrey in 1858/70.
CWMGRENIG COLLIERY
Glanamman, Amman Valley
This small slant was opened in 1885 by R. Thomas and worked in the Big Vein in 1886 by John Hughes & Sons of Cwmaman who owned it until 1889. J. Griffiths and Company re-opened it in1900 and employed 3 men in 1901 when it closed.
DUKE COLLIERY
Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Amman Valley (694085)
This was a small slant that was owned in 1921/23 by William Buckland and was owned by the Duke Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1923 and employed 220 men. It was managed by D.J. Price. It then employed 140 men in 1924/5, and 220 men in 1926 It then closed temporarily until 1929 when it employed 150. In 1930 it was managed by William Lewis and employed 110 men working underground and 40 men working at the surface of the mine and produced 43,000 tons of coal. It was still owned by Duke Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1932 and abandoned the No.2 Rhondda seam in 1931.
FOREST COLLIERY
Pontardulais
The only listings that we can find for this mine are in 1893 when it was owned by Elizabeth Thomas of Pontardulais and employed ten men working underground and in 1896 when it was owned by the Forest Colliery Company of Pontardulais and employed seven men underground and two men on the surface producing house and manufacturing coals. Around that time it was described as working the Forest seam by the pillar & stall method using naked lamps.
Also see Benallt.
FOREST HALL COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley 580058
This small mine worked between 1920 and 1924 being owned by Tom Griffiths in 1921/22 who employed three men to explore. The exploring continued under the Forest Hall Colliery Company which took over in 1922 and employed 6 men in that year. It was abandoned in 1924.
GARN MILL COLLIERY
Pantyffynnon, Amman Valley 631097.
This mine was owned in 1902 by the Garn Mill Colliery Company of Swansea and in that year was managed by Daniel T. Williams and employed 16 men working underground and 12 men at the surface of the slant. In 1903 it was in the hands of the Garn Mill Anthracite Colliery Co., and employed 18 men and in 1905 it employed 33 men. It was abandoned in 1906.
GLYNMOCH COLLIERY
Glanamman, Amman Valley 660129
It was worked by John Arthur in the 1850s and later owned by David Lloyd and Sons and then David Lloyd and Company it closed in 1883. It was reworked between 1901 and 1902 by the Glynmoch Colliery Company and again re-opened in 1949 under the name of Ystrad Colliery.
GLYNRETHIN COLLIERY
Ammanford, Amman Valley
This was a small anthracite slant that was owned in 1908 by the Glynrethin Anthracite Colliery Company of Ammanford. It was lying idle in that year. It was not listed in 1896 or 1910.
GOLDEN HOPE COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley 603034
Opened as Golden in 1888 by John Jones, it became Golden Grove in 1889 when owned by J. Locker. It stopped working in 1890. The Golden Hope was opened in 1903 and was owned by the Swansea Coal Trust Limited and employed ten men in 1904 working the Golden Vein. It closed in 1905.
GORSTO (CORSTO) COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 718138
This small anthracite slant worked the Peacock seam under the ownership of Gwyn Davies. It was listed as lying idle in 1937 and employed three men in 1938. It was abandoned in 1944. An earlier Gorsto was worked by H. & J. Thomas around 1893.
GRAIG FAWR COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley 602056.
This small level makes an appearance in 1934 to 1950 when owned by the Llangennech Brick & Tile Company. It employed 6 men and in 1943/50 when it employed 6 men working underground and 1 man on the surface and worked the Graigfawr seam.
GROVE COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley
This small slant was owned by the Pontardulais Collieries Company and employed 34 men in 1903. It was listed as discontinued in 1905.
LANGE’S ANTHRACITE COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley
This slant was owned by Lange’s Anthracite Company and employed 28 men in 1901, 15 men in 1902 and 57 men in 1903. It was listed as discontinued in 1905. See Brynamman.
LLWYNRHYDIAU COLLIERY
Cwmgorse, Amman Valley
Please see the listing on New Cwmgorse Colliery.
MALTA COLLIERY
Pantyffynnon, Amman Valley
This slant was listed as being opened in 1908 by G. Davies of Ammanford. It employed six men working underground and three men working on the surface. Mr. Davies must have had little success because we can find no other reference to it.
NANTGRENIG COLLIERY
Glanamman, Amman Valley 669128.
This was an anthracite slant that was worked by the Nantgrenig Colliery Company Limited of Post Office Chambers, Glanamman. In 1933 it employed 6 men, in 1935 it employed 5 men working the Brynlloi (Link Vein) seam, in 1937 it employed 8 men and in 1940 it employed 10 men producing 2,500 tons of coal in that year. It was abandoned in 1941.
NANTYFFIN COLLIERY
Ammanford, Amman Valley 636118,
This was a small anthracite slant that was worked by the Nantyffin Colliery Company in the Trigloyn seam and employed five men in 1912. It closed in 1914.
NOYADD COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 700133.
This mine was opened by the Cwmteg Anthracite Colliery Co. Ltd., in 1901. It was worked by the Glangarnant Colliery Company of Cardiff and employed 111 men working underground and 18 men at the surface between 1907 and 1908.At that time it was working the Trigloyn seam and was managed by D.C. Rees. The last owners were the Glangarnant & Noyadd Collieries Co. who shut it in 1909.
This small mine abandoned the Trigloin Seam in December 1909. Possibly part of, or the same mine as Glangarnant.
OLD LEVEL
Glanamman, Amman Valley
Worked by the Duffryn Amman Colliery Company (1912) Limited in 1917. It was not listed in 1913 or 1921.
PANT-Y-CELYN COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley SN71361371.
This mine was owned by John L Thomas of Brynamman in 1896 when it employed 21 men working underground and 9 men working on the surface of the mine. In 1899 it employed 67 men, in 1900 it employed 73 men, and in 1901 it employed 74 men while in 1902 it employed 79 men.
It abandoned the Big Vein in 1895, the Harnlo Seam in 1904, and the Trigloin Seam in January 1924. It was/or was associated with No.2, Bounce, Coed-cae-Bach, Medwin, Office and Pencraig. In 1927 it was owned by the Amman Anthracite Collieries Limited with J. Thomas as the manager. At that time it employed 130 men
PENCRAIG COLLIERY 674126.
Brynamman, Amman Valley
This was an anthracite drift mine that employed 65 men underground and 22 men on the surface in 1908 when managed by D.J. Thomas, 45 men in 1910, 40 men in 1911, 98 men in 1912 and 94 men in 1913/5 when it was owned by the Amman Anthracite Collieries Ltd.
PEN-LLWYN-HELYG COLLIERY
Tirydail, Amman Valley 612134
Opened by R. Leonard in 1906 who employed 14 miners, This mine is listed in 1907/8 as being owned by the Penllwynhelyg Colliery Company of Ammanford which employed 5 men working underground and 3 men at the surface of the mine.It was abandoned in 1908 but reopened in 1934 by William Isaac Allen who abandoned it in 1935.
PONTLASH COLLIERY
Pantyffynnon, Amman Valley 610141.
This was a small anthracite pit that was opened in 1890 by Looker and Co 1898 and consisted of two shafts, with the downcast ventilation shaft being 90 feet deep. It was employed 9 men in 1900, 18 men in 1902 and 35 men in 1903. It was working the Stanllyd seam in 1901 and abandoned the Pumpquart seam in February 1905 and ossibly the Gwendraeth seam in 1908 probably then closing.
TALGELYN COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Llanelli
This mine makes a brief appearance in 1884 when it was managed by W.H. White and owned by the Talgelyn Colliery and Firebrick Company. It employed 9 men in 1923
TAL-Y-CLYN ISAF COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley 567025.
All that we know about this mine is that it worked an unnamed seam in 1884.
TALYFAN COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley 593051
This small mine pops up in 1923 when it was owned by John Edwards and Partners of Pontardulais and employed 6 men working underground and 3 men working at the surface of the mine. In 1924 it employed 14 men. A Talyfan located near Pontardulais and owned by the Llangennech Brick & Tile Company employed 3 men in 1938 producing both coal and clay.
TIRHEN COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 724139.
This was an anthracite slant that was owned by the Tirhen Colliery Company and employed five men when it was abandoned in September 1933.
TRIGLOYN COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley 687128.
This small slant was owned by the Cwmnantmoel Colliery Company (1928) Limited and employed 15 men in 1937 and 6 men when it was abandoned in November 1938.
TWYN-Y-BRYN COLLIERY
Glanamman, Amman Valley 681117.
This was a small anthracite slant that abandoned the Red Vein in May 1929. It employed 11 men in 1928 it employed 7 men working underground and 4 men working at the surface of the mine and was managed by T.J. Evans in 1929. It was owned by the Twyn-y-Bryn Colliery Company and employed 20 men in 1927.
TYRISHAF COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Amman Valley
This was an anthracite level listed in 1878 as being owned and managed by John Lewis while in 1884 it was owned and managed by E. Thomas. It worked the Hughes seam around 1879 and abandoned the Reci seam in February 1898.
The Amman Valley is in the centre of the anthracite section of the South Wales Coalfield. The anthracite coal seams are the earliest of the coal seams to have been formed and consist of very hard coal, with a low ratio of volatile matter, generally between 3 and 8%. The main constituents are; carbon 94%, hydrogen 3%, and oxygen 3%. It bums at high temperatures with hardly any smoke and has low ash content.
TYRISSA COLLIERY
Amman Valley 685943
This small slant worked both the Upper and Lower Grovesend seams and was abandoned in June 1894.
WILLIAMS COLLIERY
Pontardulais, Swansea Valley
This was a small obscure 19th-century mine.
YNYSAMMAN COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley
This was a small anthracite level that was worked by the Ynysamman Colliery Company of Pontardawe in 1910 when it employed 75 men, in 1911 when it employed 43 men, in 1912 when it employed 110 men and in 1913 when it employed 83 men. The manager at that time was D.T. Williams. In 1915/6 it employed 138 men. It was managed in 1915 by Richard Williams and in 1916 by D. Jeffrey. It was not listed in 1917 but in 1918 shown to employ 59 men with the manager being R. Williams.
YNYSDAWELLA COLLIERY
Brynamman, Amman Valley
This slant is mentioned in 1886 when it was owned by W.W. Williams of Brynamman and worked the Middle Vein. In 1896 it was owned by W.R. Rees of Brynamman and employed two men working underground and one man at the surface of the mine.
Information supplied by Ray Lawrence and used here with his permission.
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