Ystradgynlais, Swansea Valley

This was an anthracite drift mine that employed 24 men working underground and 6 men working at the surface in 1900 when it was
owned by D.E. James of Ystradgynlais. It abandoned the Four-Feet seam in April 1903 and employed 52 men in 1907 and 28 men underground and 16 men on the surface in 1908 when still owned by D.E. James of Ystradgynlais. It employed 42 men in 1913 when it was owned by the Pantmawr Anthracite Collieries Limited.

The Swansea Valley is cut into the Upper Coal Measures which made the coal seams of this series easily accessible to numerous levels such as
Pantmawr. However the Valley bottom is eroded along a major, structurally disturbed belt in the Coal Measures, which is known as the Swansea Valley Disturbance, it is a narrow fracture zone along which both horizontal and vertical movements have taken place.

Some statistics:

  • 1899: Manpower: 15.
  • 1900: Manpower: 30.
  • 1901: Manpower: 33.
  • 1902: Manpower: 66.
  • 1905: Manpower: 54.
  • 1907: Manpower: 52.
  • 1908: Manpower: 44.
  • 1909: Manpower: 44.
  • 1910: Manpower: 50.
  • 1911: Manpower: 73.
  • 1912: Manpower: 75.
  • 1913: Manpower: 42.

 

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

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