Grey’s Colliery

National Grid Reference 219045

This pit was sunk in 1894 by Powell’s Tillery Steam Coal Company to work the steam coal seams of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures. In 1889 it produced 73,898 tons of coal and in 1896 it employed 365 men underground and 49 men on the surface working the Black Vein. The manager was T.J. Lamb. In 1899 it employed 443 men. In 1908/9 it was managed by W.H. John and along with Penybont and Vivian employed 2,541 men underground and 225 men on the surface along with the Tillery and Vivian Pits. In 1910 they employed 2,980 men and in 1911 they employed 2,887 men.

It was sunk to a depth of 275 metres, with the Four-Feet seam being struck at a depth of 189.9 metres, the Nine-Feet seam at a depth of 232.1 metres, and the Five-Feet/Gellideg seam at a depth of 274.3 metres.

Based on the Nine-Feet seam its coals were classed as type 301B Prime Coking Coals for use as foundry and blast furnace coke. Gray Colliery was used as a training centre for recruits to the industry until the late 1940s.

On the 1st of June 1910, Thomas Jenkins aged 49 years and a collier died under a fall of the roof, while on the 9th of April 1914, John John aged 41 years also a collier also died under a fall of roof, as did collier, Wilfred Cook aged 33 years on the 8th of August in the same year.

It closed as a production unit in October 1927 when it was owned by the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company Limited. At that time it employed 700 men. It was finally closed in 1938 and filled in 1959.

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