Rhiw Colbren Colliery

Near Abertillery, Ebbw Fach Valley (208047)

This was a series of levels that worked the Tillery (Brithdir) seam. The No.3 was the most southerly and next to the Upper Arail level. They worked under the mountain between Abertillery and Cwm, Ebbw Vale. They were dogged by thin coal as they neared the western boundary with Cwm level.

The No.1 Level was temporarily closed in 1888 by T.F. Salt, who opened the Nos.2 & 3 Levels in 1909. They were still in the hands of Mr. Salt in 1921. In 1908 it employed 31 men. Thomas Salt was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. By 1923 they were owned by the Badman Brothers who in that year employed 26 men working underground and 9 men at the surface with G.P. Williams as the manager. In 1930 the manager was W. Moseley and it employed 50 men working underground and 10 men at the surface.

In 1932 this mine was in the hands of the Blaendare Coal Company Limited of Pontypool, who employed 12 men at the surface of this mine and 60 men working underground producing manufacturing, steam and house coals. The manager was W. Mosely. The Blaendare Company Limited was based at Blaendare, Pontypool with the directors being W.H.V. and H.M. Bythway.

In 1934 it produced 40,000 tons of coal from this and the Quarry level. In 1938 No.2 employed 58 men and No.5, 35 men, the manager was J. Hopkins. In 1943/5 the No.2 employed 47 men and the No.5, 37 men, the manager was G.E. Griffin.

On Nationalisation in 1947, Rhiw Colbren Colliery was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.6 (Monmouthshire) Area, and at that time the No.2 Level employed 18 men working at the surface of the mine and 39 working underground.

The No.5 Level employed 7 men working at the surface of the mine and 29 men working underground. The manager was I.C. Harris. Both the Nos.3 and 5 Levels were closed on the 3rd of November 1947. The No.2 Level continued to work to the south of the take by the long wall method of coal extraction and in 1949 it employed 40 men working underground and 7 men at the surface producing 9,000 tons of coal.

It was closed in 1950.

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