Mount Colliery

Ammanford, Amman Valley 642098

This was an anthracite slant driven in 1927 by the Mount Anthracite Colliery Company of Globe Buildings, Clydach which was owned by J. Hopkin. It was approximately one mile south of Ammanford Colliery. In 1935 it employed 8 men on the surface and 22 men underground producing 10,000 tons of coal from the Red Vein. The manager at that time was D.T. George. Production and manpower increased to 42 men and 15,000 tons of coal in 1940. In 1945 the manager was D.E. Phillips and this mine employed 61 men underground and 18 men on the surface.

On Nationalisation in 1947 it was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.1 (Swansea) Area, and at that time employed 21 men on the surface and 68 men underground working the Ynisarwed seam the manager was now D.E. Phillips. Mr. Phillips was still the manager in 1949 when it employed 68 men working underground and 23 men working at the surface of the mine and produced 20,000 tons of coal. It employed 89 men in 1950. In 1955 out of the total colliery manpower of 175 men, it was claimed that 106 of them worked at the coalfaces in 1956 these figures were 229 and 117 respectively.

In October of 1957 this colliery had been reconstructed but due to a shortage of manpower, it was planned to close the Saron, Gelliceidrim and Llandebie collieries and transfer the manpower to Mount, Ammanford, Pantyffynnon and Wernos collieries. It was stated by the NCB that it had 25 years of life left. On closure on the 2nd of February 1959 this colliery employed 275 men.

Some statistics:

• 1933: Manpower: 26.
• 1935: Manpower: 30.
• 1937: Manpower: 36.
• 1940: Manpower: 42.
• 1945: Manpower: 79.
• 1947: Manpower: 89.
• 1948: Manpower: 93.
• 1950: Manpower:  91.
• 1953: Manpower: 132. Output: 23,200 tons.
• 1955: Manpower: 175.
• 1956: Manpower: 229.
• 1959: Manpower: 275.

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