Cardiff Navigation Colliery

Llantrisant (03128208)

On the southern outcrop of the South Wales Coalfield, the seams dip steeply making mining operations very difficult, and most of the small mines had a short life. This mine was worked in the area to the north of Pontyclun, and was sunk to a depth of 130 yards.

This mine was listed as being owned by Plant & Company in 1858, N.V.E. Vaughn in 1860/70 and the Loftus Iron Company in 1878. In 1884 it was owned by the Lanelay Collieries Company and managed by William Cosslett.

In December 1860 the equipment of both the Lanelay (Cardiff Navigation) and Trecastle mines was sold off in an auction. The newspaper advert stated that it had been seized under execution by Reuben Plant. Included in the auction were; steam engines, boilers, a pit head frame with a six-foot wheel, a weighing machine, a pumping engine, coal screens, lots of scrap metal, 400 yards of railway with sleepers and a parting, and office furniture.

In December 1890, it was still called Lanelay and advertised for tenders for sinking about 75 yards. Sinking did commence and by January 1891, it was reported that Leyshon and Thompson, who were working under lease from T.J. Masters, had struck a seam 200 yards from the surface and 45 yards below the old workings. The coal was 60 inches thick with a solid top. The paper added; “The inhabitants of the old town (Llantrisant) and neighbourhood are quite jubilant over the success of the present company,”

On the 9th of April 1892, the colliers went on strike over wages, this dragged on until a settlement was agreed in mid-June, however, the men couldn’t return to work because the day-wage men weren’t happy with their pay so they refused to go to work. It was July and three months before the six surface workers agreed on a deal.

In 1896 it employed 42 men underground and 12 men on the surface with the manager being W.H. Wain. In 1899 it employed 139 men and in 1900 it employed 165 men. It was closed between 1900 and 1914 and employed around 6 to 21 men on pumping and maintenance until re-opened by Lewis & Stephens who sold it to Baldwins Limited in April 1920. It employed 148 men underground and 53 men on the surface in 1918 when it was managed by D. Middleton. In 1922 it employed 183 men with J.M. Wilson as the manager. Baldwins worked it for house, coking and manufacturing coals but by 1923 it was shown as being owned by the Cardiff Navigation Colliery Company and employed 149 men working underground and 43 men working at the surface of the mine. J.M. Wilson was the manager.

In 1925/7 it was owned by the Bargoed Coal Company and employed 300 men with the manager being G.J. Venn. In the 1932 lists, it is shown as owned by the Pwllgwaun Colliery Company. It then disappears again by 1935. The main seams to have been worked at this colliery were the Two-Feet-Nine and Six-Feet.

Some of those that died at this pit:

• 12/10/1893, G. Williams, Age: 42: Collier: Fall of the roof at face.
• 30/05/1894, William McCarthy, Age: 40: Collier: Crushed between collar and tram whilst riding on the coupling between empty trams up an incline rising 34 degrees.
• 28/07/1897, Henry Davies, Age: 26: Collier: Fall of the side at face
• 28/09/1899, George Jones, Age: 46: Collier: Fall of the roof at face.

Some statistics:

• 1924: Manpower: 234.
• 1926: Manpower: 300.
• 1927: Manpower: 386.
• 1928: Manpower: 334.
• 1929: Manpower: 300.

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