Bedlinog Drift

Bedlinog, Taff Bargoed Valley (1000019)

The Dowlais Collieries Limited was established around 1800 and incorporated in 1931, by then it controlled its mines from the East Moors Works in Cardiff. When it started the Bedlinog Drift in 1932 it was working four drifts, in 1935 only three remained producing 130,000 tons of coal annually. At that time Bedlinog employed 302 men underground and 57 men on the surface. The Drift was then working the Brithdir and No.2 Rhondda seams.

The Dowlais Company was now based at Port Talbot with the directors being, Sir John Field Beale, Colonel Sir W.C. Wright, Colonel J.B. Neilson, J.S. Hollings, I.F.I. Elliot and E.H. Keen. In 1938 the Drift employed 372 men underground and 61 men on the surface with the manager being G.M. Evans (is this the same G.M. Evans that was manager of Bedlinog in 1908?) In 1943/5 the manager was R.T. Jones and this drift employed 416 men working underground and 92 men working at the surface of the mine.

Bedlinog remained with Dowlais Collieries Limited until Nationalisation in 1947 when it was placed in the National Coal Board’s South Western Division’s Area No.4 (Aberdare), Group No.3. At that time the NCB listed the workings as Bedlinog Pumping Station, Bedlinog Cross Measures Drift and Nantyffin Drift.

The seams being worked were the Brithdir and Tyla Du, with 429 men employed underground and 88 men on the surface. The manager was A.G. Powry. In 1949 the manager was H.G. Evans and it employed 422 men underground and 79 men working at the surface of the mine producing 125,000 tons. In 1950 it employed 393 men. In 1953 it employed 234 men working underground and 45 men at the surface producing 98,000 tons of coal. In 1954 Bedlinog produced 64,207 tons of coal from the Brithdir seam which had an average section of 1.5 metres. In 1955 out of a total manpower of 120 men, 40 of them worked at the coalfaces.

Bedlinog Drift was closed by the National Coal Board on the 31st of March 1956 because it was uneconomic.

Some statistics:

• 1934: Manpower: 307.
• 1935: Manpower: 359.
• 1937: Manpower: 388.
• 1938: Manpower: 433.
• 1947: Manpower: 517.
• 1948: Manpower: 508.
• 1949: Manpower: 501.
• 1950: Manpower: 393.
• 1953: Manpower: 279.
• 1955: Manpower: 120.

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