CRUGAU COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (825047)
Colliery Company of Neath it employed 20 men working underground and 7 men working at the surface of the mine. In the 1970s/1980s and 1990s it was still owned by the Crugau Colliery Company Limited with the No.2 Level being abandoned on the 6th of March 1993. In 1957 its workers were part of the NUMs Glynneath Lodge.
DARRAN COLLIERY
North of Neath Abbey @ 730987.
This level worked in the late 1980s, being owned by J.R.G. Stephens.
DUNRAVEN DEEP
Rhigos, Cynon Valley
An opencast mine worked by Sir Lindsay Parkinson and Company Limited in 1961.
FFORCH-Y-GARN COLLIERY
Rhigos, Vale of Neath (908047)
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970’s. In 1992 a Fforch-y-Garan mine was being worked by the Fforch-y-Garan Coal Company of Glynneath. It worked the Gorllwyn seam.
FOREST COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (831050)
There was a Forest level at Pontneddvaughn in the 1930s. It was owned by the Lloyd Brothers and employed three men between 1933 and 1937, and two men in 1938.
This was a small level that was situated in the Rheola Forest and about two miles from Resolven. It was worked in the Red Vein under license from the National Coal Board and was Opened in 1958 and owned until 1970 by M.C. Baker of Seven Sisters when it employed 14 men working underground and two men at the surface of the mine. In 1957 its workers were placed into the Glyn-neath lodge of the NUM. On the 28th of November 1955, there were eleven miners underground when an explosion of gas burned three miners. In the 1970s/80s and 1992 it was owned by the Resolven Mining Company. In 1995/6 it was owned by Signalfern Limited of Crynant and worked the No.3 Rhondda seam.
GRAIGNEDD COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath
This was a small level that worked the Wenallt seam under the ownership of the Ynisarwed Collieries Company Limited at the beginning of the 20th century. It employed 22 men in 1903 and 27 men in 1905. Also, the name of a licensed mine worked in the 1950s/60s by John Morgan and Company (Neath) Limited. It employed 23 men in 1957 when John Parry was the manager with 10 men working underground and 3 men at the surface of the mine in 1969. Its NUM members were part of the Glyn-neath Lodge.
GRAIG-Y-PANT COLLIERY
Glyn-neath (892036)
This level was in the Rhigos Forest just to the south of Glyn-neath. It was opened in 1988 into the No.2 Rhondda Seam. The closure date is uncertain.
GRAIG-YR-FFOREST COLLIERY.
Aberpergwm, Vale of Neath (853077)
This was a small level that was worked in the Red Vein under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970s by the Graig-y-Fforest Colliery Company of Pontardawe and in 1979/80+ by the Pine Tree Coal Mining Company. In 1992 the No.2 level was worked by Ryans Mining Limited.
HEBOG COLLIERY
Glyncastle, Vale of Neath
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1955 by D.J. and I. James of Resolven, and in 1960/72 by the Ivy Rock Company Limited of Neath. In the 1950s its NUM members were part of the Glyn-neath Lodge and in 1969 it employed 14 men working underground and 3 men working at the surface. It abandoned the Red Vein in 1972.
HEDDECKEL (HIDDEKEL) COLLIERY
Vale of Neath
This was a level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board and in 1957 employed 25 men working underground and ten on the surface. In 1969/72 it was owned by J.H. Wilkins and B. Llewellyn and worked the Hughes Vein. It was situated on the mountain between Pontardawe and Neath.
IVY ROCK COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (825045)
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1955/7 by T.T. Lewis and in the 1960s and 1970s by the Ivy Rock Company Limited. In the 1990/96 period, it was owned by the Ivy Rock Coal Mining Company (1990) Limited of Glynneath. In the 1950s its NUM members were part of the Glyn-neath Lodge and it employed 24 men in 1957 while in 1969 it employed 20 men working underground in the No.2 Rhondda seam and 4 men working at the surface of the mine. It probably closed in the late 1980s.
KIRKMACE COLLIERY
Rhigos Mountain
This was a small mine that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1980 when it was owned by Kirkmace Limited. It worked the Bluers seam.
LANGLAND COLLIERY
Rhigos, Vale of Neath
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1955 by J.W.P. James, in 1957 by J.M. Evans of Godregraig and in 1960 by the Cwmnant Colliery Company. It was subtitled Cwm Hwnt.
LYN COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (856038)
This was a small level that worked the No.2 Rhondda seam at a thickness of 48 inches. It was worked under license from the National Coal Board from 1954 by the Lyn Colliery Company Limited of Cardiff up to 1976, and then by the Lyn Colliery Company of Bridgend. It employed 3 men in 1957/69 and 15 men in 1974 with Mr. Thomas as the manager. Only a 40-yard coal barrier separated its workings from the Venallt Colliery. Its three slants worked between 1954 and 1997.
MAESGWYN CAP
Glyn-neath, Vale of Neath
This was an opencast mine that was worked by George Wimpey and Company Limited in 1961. In 1979 it produced 111,261 tonnes of coal and employed 82 men.
NANT-Y-MYNYDD COLLIERY
Glyn-neath, Vale of Neath (849079)
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board from 1986 to 1993 by the Nant-y-Mynydd Colliery Company Limited. It closed in July 1993 only to be reopened by the Ward Brothers in September 1994, however it was not a success and closed again in March 1995. It worked the Lower Pinchin seam.
PANTYGOIFR COLLIERY
Glyncastle, Vale of Neath
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1950s and the 1960s by the Pantygoifr Mine Limited of Resolven. Its NUM members were part of the Glyn-neath Lodge. It abandoned the No.1 Rhondda seam in 1966. There was a Pantygof Colliery working in 1882 when it was owned by J. Dobbs.
PENYGRAIG COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath
The Penygraig Resolven level abandoned the Penygraig seam in December 1890. There was a small level of this name that was worked under license from the National Coal Board and employed 4 men in 1950. In 1953/5 it was worked by Henry Stokes, and in 1960 by R. Marshallsea. In 1971 a Penygraig Level was owned by the Penygraig Colliery Company of Ystalyfera and in 1977/79 a Pengraig Level was owned by Messrs Jones and Hoskens of Garnant. In 1980 it was owned by D. Bell. Unfortunately, no locations are given for the latter levels.
PINETREES COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (854076)
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1988 by the Pinetrees (Coal Mining) Company.
RESOLVEN COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath
This was a small mine that was worked in 1860 by R.H. Miers and Company, in 1869 by W. Crawshay and Sons, in 1870 by John Thomas and Son and in 1878/1882 by the Cardiff and Swansea Colliery Company and managed by J. Thomas. It produced 26,411 tons of coal in 1889 and 110,656 tons of coal in 1894. The Lower Resolven abandoned the Wenallt seam in December 1887. The Resolven, Clydach Brook, Tyn-y-cwm and Tyra abandoned the No.1 Rhondda in June 1894. The Vale of Neath is a narrow band of intense geological folding and faulting, because of this disturbed nature in the coal measures of the Valley there are no deep mines in the area, and boreholes drilled indicated that the deeper seams are almost vertical. This was compensated in the main by the Upper Coal Measures outcropping along the sides of the Valley creating one of the most concentrated areas of levels in the South Wales Coalfield.
RHAEADR COLLIERY
Glyn-neath (836068)
This mine was opened to work the No.2 Rhondda seam in the late 1980s.
RHEOLA COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (849035)
This was a mine that worked the Wenallt seam. In 1854/59 it was owned by J. W. Lyons and then in 1896, it employed 187 men underground and 50 men on the surface with the manager being W. Waplington and the owners were the Cory Brothers. In 1907 it employed 227 men working underground in the No.2 Rhondda seam and 60 men at the surface while the No.1 Level employed 130 men working underground in the No.1 Resolven seam and 21 men at the surface. Both were managed by William M. Jones.
In 1908 it employed 322 men and the No.1 140 men with the manager still being William M Jones. It was still owned in 1913 by the Cory Brothers when it employed 371 men. At that time it was still managed by William Jones. In 1918 W. Jones was still manager and it employed 148 men. It abandoned the No.2 Rhondda seam in July 1921. It then disappears from my listings until 1949/55 when it was being worked as a licensed mine by the Rheola Colliery Company Limited of Resolven. It was still being worked by this company in 1988/92 (849035). It closed in August 1994.
Towards the end of its life, the coalfaces were about a mile in from the mouth of the mine. A journey, made up of ten trams, would take 20 minutes to travel that distance.
Some statistics:
- 1896: Manpower: 237.
- 1899: Manpower: 259.
- 1900: Manpower: 293.
- 1901: Manpower: 369.
- 1902: Manpower: 368.
- 1903: Manpower: 390.
- 1905: Manpower: 358.
- 1907: Manpower: 287.
- 1908: Manpower: 322.
- 1909: Manpower: 531.
- 1910: Manpower: 338.
- 1911: Manpower: 369.
- 1912: Manpower: 356.
- 1913: Manpower: 371.
- 1918: Manpower: 148.
RHONDDA MOUNTAIN COLLIERY
Glyn-neath, Vale of Neath
This was a small level that was worked by the Rhondda Mountain Steam Coal Company in 1876/1882 when it was managed by W. Tom. It then disappears from my listings until 1915 when it was owned by William Perch Limited of Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff in 1922 employed 150 men, in 1923 it employed 50 men working underground and 10 men at the surface of the mine producing 10,000 tons of coal while in 1924 it employed 110 men. In 1927 it employed 100 men working at this mine with the manager being James Evans. Mr. Evans was still the manager in 1930 when it employed 60 men it was back up to 100 men employed in 1932. The directors of this company in 1934 were; W. Higson Lewis, C.M. Marshall and H.M. Ingledew. The company secretary was G.L. Richards. At that time it controlled two collieries (this one and Pengam) that employed 180 men and produced 35,000 tons of coal. In 1935 it employed 10 men on the surface and 50 men underground and was still managed by J. Evans. It was closed by Nationalisation in 1947.
On 10/6/1876, William Morris, aged 15 years and a collier died under a roof fall.
TAFARN-Y-BANWEN COLLIERY
Vale of Neath
This small level abandoned the Bluers or Yard seam in February 1930.
TONPLANWYDD COLLIERY
Glyn-neath, Vale of Neath
The only mention that I can find for this anthracite slant is in 1933 when it employed 74 men and was owned by Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited.
TROED-Y-GWYDD COLLIERY
Vale of Neath
This level was owned by the Clyne Merthyr Collieries Company. It employed 150 men in 1922, 130 men in 1924 and 112 men in 1925.
TWEEDLE COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath
There was a Tweedle or Tweddel level that worked between 1812 and 1818. This was a small level that was listed in 1924/32 as being owned by the Ynisarwed Collieries Limited. It employed 127 men in 1924 and was abandoned in 1929.
TYN-Y-CWM COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath
In 1910 it employed 269 men and in February 1912 this level abandoned the No.1 Rhondda seam but in 1913 a level of this name employed 203 men under the ownership of the Cory Brothers. The manager at that time was William Jones. It was also the name of a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1953/7 by Albert Thomas of Neath and in 1960 by the Tyn-y-Cwm Colliery Company Limited.
TYN-Y-WERN COLLIERY
Glyn-neath, Vale of Neath
This licensed mine was opened around 1986 at map reference 914043.
VENALLT COLLIERY
Resolven, Vale of Neath (860041)
This was a small level in the Wenallt seam that was worked between 1949 and 1997 under license from the National Coal Board in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s by the Venallt Colliery Company Limited of Cwmgwrach. Only a 40-yard barrier of coal separated it from the Lyn Colliery workings. It was worked and owned in 1988/92 by Barkstill Limited. Not listed in 2003. It employed 11 men in 1950 and in 1957 it was working the No.2 Rhondda seam and employed 14 men underground and 5 men at the surface of the mine.
There was also a Venallt owned by the Aberdare Iron Company that worked the Black Pin ironstone vein in 1850 and the Four-Feet seam around 1867. It was owned by J. Gregory in 1870.
YNYS NEDD COLLIERY
Glyncastle, Vale of Neath
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1960 by the Dulais Coal Company (Tonna) Limited. It abandoned the Graig Isaf seam in 1964. Licensed mines were worked under sections 36/1, 36/2(a), 36/2(b), and 63/2 of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946.
Information supplied by Ray Lawrence and used here with his permission.
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