Gelynog Fawr Colliery

Near Llantrisant 055853.

An obscure little mine mentioned in 1854/67 as being owned by Mathews and Davis. In 1868/70 the Glynog was owned by the Glynog Coal Company. In 1871 it was purchased by L. Williams along with other mines in the area under the umbrella name of North Llantwit Pits. Ownership changed to the Llantiwt Red Ash Coal Company in 1875 who held it until the following year when Powell’s Red Ash Coal Company were the owners. They lasted until 1879 when Edward Elliot was in charge. He abandoned the mines in 1879.

Gelynog was then owned by W.E. Nance in 180/81 but appears that no work was carried out until 1884 when the pit was de-watered and repaired. The restart was unsuccessful and the men were laid off in 1887. In 1891 Jenkins, Silkstone and Llewellyn fancied their chances and worked a Gelynog Drift by the pillar and stall method for 98 days in that year.

The mine again laid idle between 1893 and 1895 but was purchased in 1896 by William Griffiths, William Loughor and William Green who formed the Gelynog Colliery Company. They were soon in trouble with the Mines Inspector and were taken to court over 8 breaches of the mines act, included was not having a second way out in the case of an emergency. In 1899 they decided to sink the pit deeper to the No.3 Llantwit seam which was completed by the end of September 1899, employing 63 men in 1900. It was closed in 1903.

A Gelynog Red Ash Colliery (053856) was worked in 1905 and 1906 by G.A. Greener and then in 1907 by the Red Ash Syndicate who closed it in 1908.

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