Cwmnantygroes Colliery

Abertillery, Ebbw Fach Valley 228037

This was one of the earliest exploiters of the Tillery (Brithdir) seam in the Abertillery area. It worked from c1840 to the 1890’s under the ownership of Clapp and Williams.

It was managed in 1878 by P.A. Williams and in 1888/1896 by E.R. Lewis. In 1896 it employed 24 men working underground and 6 men on the surface but by 1908 only six men were employed at this level.

This level was driven to the rise of the seam from its outcrop at right angles to the run of the valley and originally worked on the pillar and stall method of coal extraction. In 1857 the longwall system of coal extraction was introduced with a coalface that stretched for 900 yards. The main headings were driven to the rise of the coal, with cross headings driven 50 yards apart to the right and to the left, stall roads were then driven from the cross headings and twenty yards apart and the coal extracted from alongside these cross headings. As the main headings advanced fresh cross headings were driven and cut off the first stall on the last cross heading, as they advanced the stalls were cut off one by one, and new stalls opened from the new cross headings.

The seam consisted of; coal 8 inches, stone 8 inches, coal 8 inches, clod 9 inches, coal 32 inches.

On the 22nd of October 1857, John Pope aged 22 years died under a fall of roof, while 33 years later on the 7th of November 1890 Charles Herbert aged 23 years had his foot crushed by trams. He managed to walk home but developed lockjaw and died on the 15th.

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