BLAENMERRIG COLLIERY
Ystalyfera, Swansea Valley

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970s when it was owned by Hopkins and Williams. In 1992 it was owned by L. Williams and managed by E. Williams. At that time it was working the Upper Pinchin seam. It closed in 1994.

 

BRYNGOROF COLLIERY
Abercrave, Swansea Valley (736112)

This was another small level that was worked under a licence from the National Coal Board. It was owned in 1955/7 by J.M. Thomas of Cwmgorse, and in the 1960s and 1970s by the Bryngorof Colliery Company. It abandoned the Ynisarwed seam in 1974.

 

BRYNMELYN COLLIERY
Swansea Valley

This small level was worked under licence from the National Coal Board by Messrs. B. & I.D. Jones in 1960.

 

BRYN VARTEG COLLIERY
Ystradgynlais, Swansea Valley (787086)

This mine was situated on the northern extremity of the South Wales Coalfield. An early level failed to work the coal and was abandoned in 1926, there were still no workings in 1927/8. This level (or a new one) then employed two men in 1937/8 and was worked in 1943/5 when it was owned by the Bryn Varteg Colliery Company of Briton Ferry and employed 7 men underground in the Red Vein and 1 man on the surface. It closed in August 1945. It also worked in the Red Vein under license from the National Coal Board, being owned in 1949/60s by S.R. Rees of Ystalyfera and from 1969 to 1975 by Deepford Ltd. In 1976/7 it was owned by the Bryn Varteg Colliery Company, in 1978 by D.J. Hewins of Pontardawe and in 1979/80 by R. Morgan of Ystradgynlais.

 

BYRNANT VARTEG COLLIERY
Ystalyfera, Swansea Valley (776079)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board and owned in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by the Mountain Mining Syndicate Limited. The No.2 level was working in the 1992/96 period and possibly closed in January 1996. It worked the No.2 Rhondda seam which had a thickness of 27 inches and employed 16 men in 1966. The No.1 Level abandoned the No.2 Rhondda and Upper Pinchin seams in 1968 when the No.2 Level was opened.

 

CASTLE SQUARE COLLIERY
Cwmllynfell, Swansea Valley (743109)

This was a small level in the Red Vein that was worked under license from the National Coal Board. It was owned in 1956/9 by T. Purselove of
Brynamman and in 1960 by the Castle Square Colliery Limited. It abandoned the Red Vein in 1960 when the water broke into the mine and a man drowned (24th September). The National Union of Mineworkers had a tremendous problem in organising its members in such small mines, and where the miners were members of the Union, they sometimes had difficulties in receiving the union contributions which had been deducted from wages by the owners. In this particular mine, in 1958, 70 arrears of contributions amounted to 26 weeks.

Some statistics:

  • 1912: Manpower: 9.
  • 1918: Manpower: 15.
  • 1920: Manpower: 20.
  • 1922: Manpower: 20.
  • 1923: Manpower: 32.
  • 1924: Manpower: 25.
  • 1927: Manpower: 20.
  • 1932: Manpower: 20.

 

CWMGEIDD COLLIERY
Yniscedwyn, Swansea Valley

This was s small mine that was worked under licence from the National Coal Board in 1955/7 by LB. Griffiths of Ystradgynlais, when it employed seven men in the Bryn seam. It was owned in 1960 by H. Gunn.

 

DDERI COLLIERY
Upper Swansea Valley

This small slant abandoned the Red Vein in May 1914, and then re-appears in 1957 is listed under the ownership of R.M.E. Morgan of Rhiwfawr. No manpower or seam was given.

 

GLEN COLLIERY
Cwmllynfell, Swansea Valley (742120)

This was a small level that employed 1 man underground and 1 man on the surface in 1943/5 working the Soap Vein and was worked under
license from the National Coal Board in 1947 by E.W. Harris. It employed 3 men in 1950 and was owned in 1955 by H. Norman and W. Evans, and in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s by the Glen Colliery Company.

The NUM members at this colliery were served by the Llynfell Lodge. It worked the anthracite Red Vein seam which had a thickness of between 36 inches to 42 inches. It consisted of both the old and new drifts (opened in 1979) with the old drift being re-opened in the 1980s. The manager in the 1970’s was Peter Bevan. This mine employed an average of twelve men underground until the de-regulation of this rule in the 1990s when manpower was increased to fifty. Average coal production also increased from around 100 tonnes a week to 1,000 tonnes a week, which of course hastened its closure.

 

GOVER COLLIERY
Cwmllynfell, Swansea Valley

An anthracite slant that was owned in 1928/30 by the Gover Colliery Company and in 1927/8 it employed 18 men and in 1930 it employed 25 men producing 10,950 tons of coal from the Styrin and Black seams. In 1932 it was owned by the Gover Anthracite Collieries Limited of Cwmllynfell whose chairman was W.J. Davies. The other directors were E. Harries and Mabel V David. It was abandoned in 1933. In 1933 it employed 5 men on the surface and 25 men underground producing 10,950 tons of coal from the Styrin and Black seams. The manager at that time was E. Harris. The New Gover worked between 1942 and 1943 and then between 1945 and 1965.

On Nationalisation in 1947 it became a small mine that was worked under licence from the National Coal Board by D. & O. Moses and by Mrs. O. Moses in 1953. Ownership had changed to E.J. Howells and W.S. Evans by 1955 who continued to work it into the 1960s. It employed eight men working the White and Stwrin seams in 1957. In the 1950’s its NUM members were part of the Llynfell Lodge.

Gover abandoned the Soap Vein in 1923, the Stwrin, White and Black seams in 1933, the Black again in 1948 and the White again in 1957.

 

GRAIGARW COLLIERY
Swansea Valley (75700850)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board, and owned in the 1960s and 1970s by the Graig-Arw Colliery Company Limited of Godregraig.

 

GRAIG CIL HENDRE COLLIERY
Swansea Valley (71600180)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1957 by H. Evans & Others and in 1960 by J.H. Evans. In 1969 it was owned by I.H. Evans and M.H. Harvard of Clydach and in 1970 by Harvard alone. It abandoned the Maesmawr seam in 1970.

 

GURHYD COLLIERY
Ystalyfera, Swansea Valley

This was an anthracite level that was worked in the first decades of the 20th century by the Pwllbach Colliery Company. Gurhyd abandoned the Lower Pinchin Seam in 1957.

 

HELYG (HELIG) COLLIERY
Rhiwfawr, Swansea Valley

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1957/60 by the Helyg Colliery Company Limited of Rhosamman. It worked the Stwrin seam. In 1976 the address of this company moved to Cwmllynfell. It was still working in 1980.

 

LLWYNDU COLLIERY
Glais, Swansea Valley

This Level was owned in 1893 by the Llwyndu Coal & Brick Company of Glais with Thomas Evans as the manager. It produced house and manufacturing coals for the Llwyndu Colliery Company, which was owned by Evan Lewis of Clydach, in 1907 it employed 33 men, in 1913 it employed 55 men and was managed by David J. Jones. In 1915/6 it employed 44 and was managed by J. Bowen. In 1933/38 it employed 7 men. It was still being worked in 1945 when it employed 8 men underground and 2 men on the surface and was owned by the Llwyndu Fire Brick Company of Swansea. It was still working in the 1950s when its NUM members were part of the Clydach Lodge. In 1957 it employed 13 men working underground in the Graigola seam, and fro clay, and one man at the surface of the mine.

Some statistics:

  • 1902: Manpower: 43.
  • 1903: Manpower: 43.
  • 1905: Manpower: 35.
  • 1907: Manpower: 33.
  • 1909: Manpower: 26.
  • 1910: idle.
  • 1911: Manpower: 43.
  • 1912: Manpower: 37.
  • 1913: Manpower: 55.
  • 1915: Manpower: 44.
  • 1916: Manpower: 44.
  • 1933: Manpower: 7.
  • 1938: Manpower: 7.
  • 1945: Manpower: 10.
  • 1957: Manpower: 14.

 

LOWER CWMTAWE COLLIERY
Ystradgynlais, Swansea Valley

This was a small level that was working in 1915 when it was owned by the Lower Cwmtawe Colliery Anthracite Company of Seven Sisters. The
company name had changed to Lower Cwmtawe Anthracite Collieries Limited by 1925 with the colliery producing 18,000 tons of coal from the Pinchin seam in 1930. In 1923 it employed 10 men, in 1924 it employed 28 men and it was shown as abandoned in 1927.

I then lose it until it/or another, was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1947 by T.R. Davies, and in the 1950s and 1960s by the Lower Cwmtawe Anthracite Colliery Company Limited of Neath. This mine employed four men underground and four 10 men working underground in the Red Vein in 1969 and 4 men at the surface of the mine. It abandoned that seam in that year. In 1970 it was owned by T.J. Slee of Ystradgynlais.

 

MARCH HYWEL COLLIERY.
Ystradgynlais, Swansea Valley (758030)

This mine employed 10 men in 1900, 24 men in 1901, and 38 men in 1902 but in 1903/5 it was listed as discontinued. It was owned in 1915 by the New Marchhywel Colliery Company of Swansea when it employed 116 men and was managed by J.L. Lewis. In 1922 it employed 212 men, in 1923 it employed 169 men and produced 75,000 tons of coal, it employed 138 men in 1924 and employed 250 men in 1925/7 when it was managed by Richard Howells. It abandoned the Hughes seam in September 1924 and the Glyngwilym seam in February 1925 and then again in 1937. It then disappears from my lists until it was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s by T.J. Slee of Ystradgynlais. It re-opened the Glyngwilym seam in 1984 and worked it at a thickness of only 19 inches.

 

MEUDWY COLLIERY
Cilmeungwyn, Swansea Valley (744067)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board from 1960 to 1977 by the Meudwy Colliery Company Limited of Pontardawe. From 1977 to 1979 it was owned by Thomas Estaban of Ystradgynlais and from 1980 on by the Blaentawe Mining Company of Cwmllynfell.

 

NANTHELEN SITE
Swansea Valley

This was an opencast site which started coaling in June 1987, with the anticipated cessation of coaling being September 1997, and the date of completion was anticipated to be September 1999 plus another five years for rehabilitation. It was still in production in March 2003. It was worked by Celtic Energy.

The total site area is 306 hectares, the site tonnage being 3,228,574 tonnes extracted at 6,000 tonnes per week. The coal classification is anthracite and it is sent to the Onllwyn Disposal Point to make large and small nuts, beans, grains and duff for the domestic and industrial market.

 

NEW PENRIW COLLIERY
Rhiwfawr (728108)

This mine had been abandoned when taken over by UK Mining who pumped the water out and recommenced work in the No.2 Rhondda seam in January 1992. The No.2 Rhondda seam was about 35 inches thick but dipped at a gradient of one in three. Unusually, side-tipping trams were used at this mine.

 

NEW YNISCU COLLIERY

Owned by the Yniscu Anthracite Colliery Company of Ystalyfera in 1945 when it employed 41 men underground working the Lower Pinchin seam and 12 men on the surface and was managed by C. Harding. This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1953/5 by the Yniscu Anthracite Colliery Company Limited of Ystalyfera.

In 1957 it employed 34 men working the Upper Pinchin seam and 11 men at the surface of the mine. In 1969 it employed 34 men working underground and 11 men working at the surface of the mine. It is on my listings up until 1972.

Some Statistics:

  • 1933: Manpower: 3.
  • 1937: Manpower: 12.
  • 1940: Manpower: 28. Output: 20,000 tons.
  • 1942: Manpower: 31. Output: 20,000 tons.
  • 1944: Manpower: 31. Output: 20,000 tons.
  • 1945: Manpower: 53.
  • 1957: Manpower: 45.
  • 1969: Manpower: 45.

 

PEN PERLYN ZONE
Gurnos, Swansea Valley

The original mine worked the Big and Little seams pre-1921. It was also an opencast site that was worked by Sir John Jackson Limited in 1961.

 

PENRHIW COLLIERY
Swansea Valley (73701060)

This small level was high up between Gwaun cae Gurwen and Ystalyfera. It was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1955/7 by O. Williams of Pontardawe and in 1960 by the Penrhiw Colliery Company Limited.

 

PENTREHARNE COLLIERY

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1960s by Colemor Development Company and in the 1970s by J. Horlock of Swansea. It abandoned the Hughes Vein in 1972.

 

PEN-Y-GRUG COLLIERY
Ystalyfera, Swansea Valley (765073)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970s by the Penygrug Colliery Company Limited of Glanamman up to 1977 from then on the company was based at Ystalyfera. It worked the No.2 Rhondda seam. In 1992 it was owned by T.J. Slee.

 

RHIWFAWR COLLIERY

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1957/60 by the Gellifowy Colliery Company Limited of
Ystradgynlais. No seam worked or manpower was given although abandoned mines records show that it abandoned the Red Vein in 1936.

 

TY GWYN COLLIERY
Gurnos, Swansea.

This mine was working the Little, Middle and an unnamed seam in 1863 and was owned in 1865/70 by Young and Pollard but I have no other information on this mine.

A small level owned by Evan Evans of Burry Port in 1908 which employed 2 men. In 1923 a Tygwyn at Cwmllynfell was owned by the Tygwyn Anthracite Colliery Company and employed seven men opening. In 1932 it was owned by H.J. Powell of Ystalyfera and it employed five men in 1933. It was not listed in 1935 and is shown as being owned by the Tygwyn Colliery Company of Ystalyfera and employed 3 men underground and 1 man on the surface of the mine. It was abandoned in 1945. In 1957 a licensed mine of this name was owned by K. Allen and J. Williams of Ystalyfera. It abandoned the Red Vein that year.

 

TYNPANT COLLIERY
Ystalyfera, Swansea Valley

The original Tynpant Colliery appears to have been worked between 1898 and c1912. It was owned by Watkin Watkins of Tynpant and employed 4 men in 1896. It then reappears as a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1960s by K.J. and FT. White. It worked the Wenallt Rider seam which it abandoned in 1968.

 

WAUN ANTHRACITE COLLIERY
Cwmllynfell, Swansea Valley

This was a small anthracite slant that employed 14 men underground and 7 men on the surface in 1945 and 25 men in 1948 and 26 men in 1950.
It was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s by the Waun Anthracite Colliery Company Limited of Cwmllynfell. In 1957 it employed 12 men working underground in the Middle Vein and 2 men at the surface.

 

WAUNCOED COLLIERY
Trebanos, Swansea Valley

The No.2 Level worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1960 by M. Evans and J. Thomas. It abandoned the Graigola seam in 1964. Please also see Waun-y-Coed Colliery.

 

WAUN LWYD DEEP EXTENSION
Ystradgynlais, Swansea Valley

An opencast site worked by George Wimpey and Company in 1961. It was estimated that this site held 4,000,000 tons of coal.

 

YNISMEUDW COLLIERY
Ystradgynlais, (78100580)

This was a small mine worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1960 when it was owned by J. Sinnett of Pontardawe.

 

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

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