Abernant Colliery

Markham, Sirhowy Valley (17030146)

Two shafts were sunk to the Brithdir seam in the 1880s by the Bargoed Coal Company, and this pit linked to Llanover Colliery. The Bargoed Coal Company was owned and registered in Brecon; it had 40 shares worth £500 each. The West pit was 489 feet deep and elliptical measuring 16ft x 10ft, while the East pit was 495 feet deep and 16ft x 11ft in size.

In 1888 the manager was J. Jeremiah and it was listed as “sinking”. In 1889 it produced 10,000 tons of coal and in 1894 it produced 92,831 tons of coal in 1896 it was Theodore Vachell who was the manager of the pit employing 279 men underground and 44 men on the surface. In 1899/1900 it employed 325 men and in 1901 it employed 349 men. In 1908 the manager was William O’Connor and the pit then employed 410 men underground and 57 men on the surface. In 1909/11 it employed 470 men. Mr. O’Connor was still the manager, and in 1912 it employed 476 men. In 1913 it employed 483 men.

The manpower dropped slightly to 450 men overall in 1916, the manager then was E. Rosser. In 1918 the manager is listed as R. O’Connor and manpower as 390 men underground and 86 on the surface. Mr. O’Connor was still there in 1919/20 when manpower was again 500 men. In 1923 it employed 415 men, in 1927 it employed 500 men while in 1930 G.P. Williams was the manager and it employed 330 men working underground and 85 men working at the surface of the mine. In 1931 it employed 200 men, in 1932 it employed 100 men and in 1933 it employed 50 men, and it employed 4 men underground and 6 men on the surface in 1934 on a pumping and maintenance basis only.

In 1934 the Bargoed Coal Company Limited was based at 4a Lion Street, Brecon with the directors being; Robert Gibb, George Tudor, Thomas Harris and A.C. Carne Ross. It had an annual output of 120,100 tons of coal and employed 12 men at Abernant and 330 men at East Blaina Colliery. The Brithdir seam (also called the Pontygwaith, Tillery or Red Ash) was approx. 230 yards beneath the Mynyddislwyn seam and was worked extensively in a band three to four miles wide.

The seam section was generally 34 inches. The eastern boundary with Coed-y-Moeth Colliery was reached by 1895, with the pit continuing to work towards the northeast until 1932.

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