Near Resolven, Vale of Neath (828010/822015)

Opened in 1937 on the site of the old Gored Merthyr and by 1943 and 1945 this level was managed by D.W. Jones. In both years it employed 117 men underground working the Glyn Gwilym seam and 24 men on the surface. It was owned by the Garth Collieries Limited.

On Nationalisation in 1947 it was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.2 Area, and at that time employed 26 men on the surface and 118 men underground working the Glyn Gwilym seam. The manager at that time was H. David. By 1954 it had been placed in the NCB’s No.9 (Neath) Area, Group No.1, and employed 25 men on the surface and 123 men underground working the Wenallt Rider.

This colliery had its own coal preparation plant. In 1955 out of a total manpower of 160 men at this colliery, 73 of them were working at the coalfaces the manager in 1955 was W.H. Penry. The coalface figure was down to 68 men in 1956 and further down to 49 men at the coalfaces in 1958.

This level produced steam, house, and manufacturing coals and was closed on October 2nd 1959 due to the poor quality of the coal produced.

Some statistics:

  • 1937: Manpower: 40.
  • 1938: Manpower: 50.
  • 1940: Manpower: 98.
  • 1943: Manpower: 141.
  • 1944: Manpower: 144.
  • 1947: Manpower: 144.
  • 1948: Manpower: 154. Output: 50,000 tons.
  • 1949: Manpower: 151. Output: 50,000 tons.
  • 1950: Manpower: 151.
  • 1953: Manpower: 134. Output: 32,900 tons.
  • 1954: Manpower: 158. Output: 44,414 tons.
  • 1955: Manpower: 160. Output: 37,009 tons.
  • 1956: Manpower: 149. Output: 42,527 tons.
  • 1957: Manpower: 144. Output: 37,263 tons.
  • 1958: Manpower: 126. Output: 31,696 tons.

 

GORED MERTHYR COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (827009/840000)

This mine was opened in 1895 and is sometimes confused with Blaen-y-Cwm or Cefn Mawr or Llwyncoedwr due to all of them being owned by the New Gored Merthyr Colliery Company. Both the original and New levels produced manufacturing coals and employed 20 men underground and 3 men on the surface in 1896 when owned by Edwards and Howell of Tonna.

It worked the Glyngwilyn and Wenallt Rider seams. It was lying idle in 1907. The collective levels employed 304 men in 1913 when owned by the New Gored Merthyr Colliery Company which was owned by F. Bellamy and Company of Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff. It employed 302 men in 1915 and 272 men in 1916 when it was managed by W. Jones. It was still listed in 1917 with this company shown as not being a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

In 1919 it employed 278 men and in 1920 it employed 323 men. The manager was still W.E. Jones. In 1924/8 the manager was D.R. Lloyd and employed 323 men. The Blaen-y-Cwm or Cefn Mawr drift abandoned the Wenallt Rider in March 1917 while the Blaen-y-Cwm or Llwyncoedwr drift abandoned the same seam in February 1928.

Some statistics:

  • 1896: Manpower: 23.
  • 1899: Manpower: 69.
  • 1900: Manpower: 103.
  • 1901: Manpower: 57.
  • 1902: Manpower: 48.
  • 1903: Manpower: 65.
  • 1912: Manpower: 245.
  • 1913: Manpower: 304.
  • 1915: Manpower: 302.
  • 1916: Manpower: 272.
  • 1919: Manpower: 278.
  • 1920: Manpower: 323.
  • 1922: Manpower: 323.
  • 1924: Manpower: 323.

 

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

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