BRAWDS COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (838080)

This was a small mine that was worked under license from the NCB. Planning consent was given in July 1983 and a license was granted in January 1984 to D.R. & D.I. Evans with the manager being the latter. It employed between 3 to 6 men and worked both the Upper and Lower Pinchin seam between 1984 and 1992. In 1993 the license was transferred to the Ward Brothers Ltd for opencast mining.

 

BRYNDULAIS COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (829070)

This was a small level that worked in the No.2 Rhondda seam. It was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970s by the Penbryn Colliery Company and was abandoned on the 15th of September 1984. They then opened the No.2 on the opposite side of the mountain in the Vale of Neath and linked up with the old drift. It closed c1991.

 

BRYNGARN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the period 1955 to 1988 at least by E.D. Thomas.

 

BRYNGRUNNIN COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley (801060)

A small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the early 1970’s by the Valley Mining Enterprises of Swansea. From 1976 it was owned by T. Hopkins of Crynant. It closed in 1979.

 

BRYN-Y-GARN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (838077)

This was a small level that worked between c1976 and 1998 under license from the National Coal Board by the Craig Clwyd Colliery Company and in 1980 by W.C. Fyfield of Upper Cwmtwrch. In 1982 it produced 2,277 tons of coal with 3 men working underground and 2 men at the surface of the mine. In 1992 W.C. Fyfield was the manager with the owners being listed as Doublerange Limited. It worked the No.2 Rhondda seam and was abandoned on the 27th of April 1998.

 

CARN CORNEL COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (811067)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board and opened in 1980 by Gwyn Bowen. In 1982 the Carn Cornel Colliery Company (W.C. Jones, Gwyn Bowen, Iouth Evans and Howard Morgan) took over it working the Upper Pinchin seam which was 30 inches thick in this area. It employed around 5 men. It was abandoned in 1984.

The No.2 was opened in 1986 but found that they had opened up on the wrong seam and had to start again a bit lower down. The new mine started in 1987 and worked until 1995.

The No.3 was worked by the Nant Fach Mining co. Ltd between 1996 and 1998.

 

COED DU COLLIERY
Dulais Valley (798058)

This mine was probed in 1995/6 by Signalfern Limited of Crynant and then by Mineral Extraction & Handling Limited. They failed to work it and the license ran out in 2003.

 

DARRELL COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (807065)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board from 1979 when it was owned by B. Hopkins of Lower Cwmtwrch. In October 1989 ownership changed to W.C. Fyfield and in 1992 it was owned by Firmglow Limited and at that time it worked the No.2 Rhondda seam.

 

DRIM (DRYM) COLLIERY
Dulais Valley

This mine was worked prior to the opening of Dulais Colliery by the Dulais Anthracite Collieries Company. In 1896 it was owned by Phillip George of Llansamlet and employed 49 men underground and 6 men on the surface. The manager was Phillip George. In 1902 it employed 84 men and in 1903 it employed 10 men.

 

DULAIS MOUNTAIN COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley

This was a small anthracite slant that was shown as being owned by the Dulais Mountain Colliery Company in 1925 and by the Dulais Mountain Colliery Company (1929) Limited in 1930 when it employed 38 men working underground in the No.1 Rhondda seam and 7 men working at the surface of the mine. The manager was W. Waplington. In 1932 it was owned by Sherwood Hunter. It was abandoned in September 1933. It worked the No.1 Rhondda seam to a small extent, its thickness in this area being, coal 24 inches, clay 16 inches, coal 9 inches. The Dulais Rhondda Colliery abandoned the No.2 Rhondda seam in 1938.

Some statistics:

  • 1923: Manpower: 7.
  • 1924: Manpower: 30.
  • 1927: Manpower: 15.
  • 1928: Manpower: 31.
  • 1930: Manpower: 45.

 

DULAIS RESOVEN COLLIERY
An obscure level that worked the No.1 Rhondda seam. It was possibly working as early as 1842 and owned in 1867 by Thomas Callender Hinde of Swansea who had just become bankrupt. It was then purchased by W.L. Banks at an auction but was abandoned by 1875.

In 1889 this was possibly the mine now named Penygraig Resolven after the company of the same name although they abandoned it in 1890.

 

DULAIS RHONDDA COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley (797801)

This small level was owned by the Dulais Rhondda Colliery Company of Seven Sisters and employed six men in 1937. It was abandoned in September 1938. It worked the No.2 Rhondda seam.

 

ELLIN COLLIERY
Dulais Valley

This was a small drift mine that was listed as being owned by Evans and Bevan in 1878 when it was managed by T. Jenkins.

 

ELWYN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (846086)

This was a small level that worked the Red Vein under license from the National Coal Board in 1955/7 by E.R. Rowlands. It was worked from 1957 to 1971 by the Elwyn Colliery Company and from then by the Tower Anthracite Company which by 1992 was owned by Ryans Mining Limited.

In 1960 output was 5,405 tons of coal with 15 men working underground and 5 on the surface. In 1987 it employed 19 men.

The Elwyn Pinetrees was worked by the Tower Anthracite Company between 1911 and 1992, then by Ward Brothers who closed it in 1993.

 

EVAWILL COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (829075)

A small level worked under license from the National Coal Board in the period 1983 to 1994. It was opened by the Evawill (Anthracite) Mining Co. Limited and was working the Lower Pinchin seam. In 1988 it went to the Tumble Anthracite Ltd., until 1991 when it ended up with Evawill (Anthracite) Ltd. This company’s directors were, R. Llewellyn Owens, R. Llewellyn Owens and W. M. Eaton.

 

GLAN DERI COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, (835076)

This licensed mine worked the No.2 Rhondda seam between 1976 and 1999. It was owned by T. McGarry on opening who leased 22 acres of the No.2 Rhondda seam. In 1982 it produced 5,024 tons of coal with 8 men employed. The license went to the Glanderi Colliery Ltd., in 1988 who held it until 1996. In 1998 it was owned by the Glanderi Colliery Ltd.

 

GRAIG CILFREW COLLIERY
Cilfrew, Dulais Valley

This was a short life level that was opened in 1912 by W. Phillips and worked by the Graig Cilfrew Company Limited in 1916 when it employed 15 men and was managed by S. E. Thomas. This company was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. In 1918 it employed eleven men working underground and one man on the surface and 14 men in 1919. It abandoned the Hughes or Wenallt seam in February 1919.

 

HENLLAN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley

This was a small slant that was worked in 1917 by the Dillwyn Colliery Company Limited. It appears to have been worked intermittently between 1911 and 1940. Also called Dillwyn Lower it worked the Red Vein.

 

HEOL HEN COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley (810067)

A Heol Hen Colliery was abandoned in June 1927 when it employed four men.

A small level worked under license from the National Coal Board during the 1984 to 1998 period. It was opened by the Heol Hen Mining Company which consisted of M. Evans, D. Durham, R. Griffiths and B. James.

The original drifts were in the wrong place and had to be abandoned full of water. The company was given an extension to their license by the Coal Authority and by 1987 the mine employed 5 men and worked the Upper Pinchin seam. It was stopped in 1993.

 

HIRFYNYDD COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (824067)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board from 1983. In 1992 it was working the Lower Pinchin seam and was owned by G. Williams, he abandoned it in the same year. Re-opened in 1993 by Signalfern Limited of Crynant. It appears to have closed in 1996.

 

HOGDENS COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley

The only mention that I can find of this level is in 1923 when it was owned by Stephens’ Merthyr Steam Coal Company and employed 18 men.

 

LLWYNGOLEU COLLIERY
Dulais Valley (819069)

It was opened by B.J. Evans of Seven Sisters in 1978 but this must have taxed him financially for in 1979 the Llwyngoleu Small Mines Ltd (D.M. Evans, Mostyn Jones, Royston Jones) was formed and employed around 4 men. In 1985 it was owned by the Seven Sisters Mining Ltd (R. & D. Adamec) who employed around 3 men. It was abandoned in 1988.

 

LLWYNONN COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley (788061)

The Nos. 1 and 2 levels were opened in 1901 and listed in 1913 and 1917 as being owned by the Llwynon Colliery Company Limited, which in turn was owned by Redgrave and Company of Burrows Chamber, Swansea. This Company was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

On the 14th of May 1912, Thomas Edwards, aged 50 years and a collier, died under a fall of roof. While a few months later on the 21st of August 1912, Joseph Davies, aged 32 years and also a collier, also died under a fall of roof.

This mine worked the No.2 Rhondda seam, employing 252 men in 1907 and 428 men in 1913/16 when managed by John R. Hughes. In 1918 the Nos. 1 and 2 levels employed 265 men underground and 28 men on the surface, the manager was J.R. Hughes, Mr. Hughes was still there in 1919 but manpower had dropped to 240. In 1923 it produced 200,000 tons of coal with 508 men employed and in 1927 employed 400 men with J.R. Hughes as the manager. It was managed by J.O. Howells in 1934 but had abandoned the No.2 Rhondda seam in 1932. The No.2 Rhondda seam in this area was semi-anthracite but sulphury in content.

Some statistics:

  • 1900: Manpower: 10.
  • 1902: Manpower: 17.
  • 1903: Manpower: 103.
  • 1905: Manpower: 67.
  • 1907: Manpower: 252.
  • 1909: Manpower: 272.
  • 1911: Manpower: 212.
  • 1912: Manpower: 393.
  • 1913: Manpower: 428.
  • 1918: Manpower: 293.
  • 1919: Manpower: 240.
  • 1920: Manpower: 540.
  • 1922: Manpower: 400.
  • 1923: Manpower: 461.
  • 1924: Manpower: 466.
  • 1927: Manpower: 217.
  • 1928: Manpower: 83.
  • 1929: Manpower: 400.

 

MAES-Y-MARCHOG COLLIERY
Dulais Valley

This mine was owned in 1842 to 1872 by Penrose and Starbuck who employed 85 men in that year. It was then owned 1873 to 1889 by the Maesymarchog Colliery Company, and in 1890/93 by Griffith Thomas of Swansea who abandoned it in June of that year. Thomas re-opened it in 1901 and worked it until 1908 In 1909 it was purchased by Evans and Bevan who employed 331 men in 1913.

It worked the Eighteen Feet seam between 1886 to its abandonment in February 190. The Four-Feet seam was worked in 1905 to 1908, and again in 1959, the Cornish Four-Feet in 1952 to 1957, abandoned in 1960. The Upper-Four-Feet was worked between 1952 and abandonment in 1954. The Brass Vein was worked in the 1909 to 1911 period then again between 1959 and 1962. The Peacock was worked between 1948 and 1951, the White between 1917 and 1951, and the Gray seam between 1947 and its abandonment in August 1959.

  • On the 11th of February 1882, Morgan Morgan, Age: 55 years and a collier died under a fall of roof.
  • On the 20th of October 1887, David Jones, aged 39 years and a collier, died under a fall of roof.
  • On the 24th of June 1888, William Davies, aged 64 years, and a collier, died under a fall of roof.

It became Onllwyn No.3 Colliery in 1916.

 

.

MAES MAWR COLLIERY
Crynant (797801)

This level worked the No.2 Rhondda seam as early as 1876, but by 1899 it was listed as disused. It was worked by the Maesmawr Gwynnant Coal Co.. It was possibly re-opened later as part of Crynant Colliery.

 

NANTHIR COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (842083)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board and British Coal from 1979 to 2010. It worked the Red Vein seam at a thickness of 34 inches. In the 1979/1992 period, it was owned by A. Thomas. In 1982 it produced only 104 tons of coal with the owner listed as the only man working there. It was abandoned in 1992 with opencast mining in this area between 1993 and 1994.

From 1994 to 1998 it was owned by the Ward Brothers and then by M. & W. A. Anthracite Ltd in March of 2003 it received a Government grant of £31,200 as one of four mines in south Wales and six in the UK that qualified for the final payment of the Coal Operating Aid Scheme. In 2008 ownership changed to Metal Innovations Ltd.

 

NANTMELYN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (833078)

This was a small level that was opened under license from the National Coal Board in 1980 by Daniels and Hosken, by the following year it was owned by P.R. Donne and W.H. James, but for some reason Donne withdrew from the partnership and in came Henry Jones. This partnership then traded under Periweald Limited until 1982. Mr. Jones was killed in a car accident and James was found with stolen explosives in his car. The company was sold to G.H. Watkins and Glenville Jones with 5 men employed. In 1983 it employed 6 men but abandoned the Upper part of the Pinchin seam in 1984.

In 1986 two new drifts were opened into the Lower Pinchin seam with still six men employed under the directorship of G. Jones and Daphne Jones. E. Thomas is in charge in 1992 when he bought both the Periweald and Penybryn companies and then placed them in liquidation. He then bought them back from the liquidator. It was then worked by his company, Thomas Merthyr Limited until 1994 when it was transferred to the Graig Wen Mining Company Limited. In 1994 the Thomas Merthyr Company received an £80,000 grant from the Government to develop this mine. It was abandoned in 1997.

 

NANT MERTHYR COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley

On the 25th of August 1893, both Morgan Jones aged 20 years and a haulier, and Roger Elias, aged 18 years and a collier, died under the same fall of roof.

This was a small anthracite drift mine that was owned in 1884 by Thomas & Company and managed by T. Lloyd. In 1893 it was owned by David Thomas and managed by M.W. Davies. It had closed by 1900.

 

NANT-Y-CAFN COLLIERY.
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (824067)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the NCB from 1984 to 1987 by G.V. Williams. In the 1987/93 period, it was owned by B.J. & P. Williams and worked the Upper Pinchin seam. Also another name for Dillwyn Colliery In 1993 it was owned by the Nantycafn Colliery Co. Ltd (Phillip Williams, Brian John Williams, Vivian Gedambe) who worked it until 1994 it was back with B.J, & P. Williams. It was linked with Penylan No.3 in 1994 and abandoned in 1995.

 

OAKTREE COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley (795079)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1957 by D.F. Millard of Crynant and in the 1960s and 1970s by the Oak Tree Mines Limited of Crynant. It worked the Red Vein which it abandoned in 1974.

 

OLD LLWYNON COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1955 by D.L. Bevan and Others, in 1957 by D.L. Bevan and Company and in 1960 by the Old Llwynon Colliery (Crynant) Limited. In the 1950s its NUM members were part of the Dulais Lodge. It worked the Ynisarwed seam and employed 8 men underground and one man on the surface in 1957.

 

PENYBONT COLLIERY
Crynant (789060)

This level worked the Upper Pinchin seam under the ownership of Gwynfor Davies and later by a Mr. Horlocks as the Penybont Mining Co. Ltd between 1967 and 1968.

 

PENYLAN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (No.3 at 819066)

A small anthracite level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in 1953 by Evan Jones, in 1955 by Luther Jones and in the 1960s and 1970s by Penylan Small Mine Limited. It abandoned the Upper Pinchin seam in 1989.

 

SARN HELEN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley (833075)

This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board from 1969 to 1990 by the Dulais Coal Company (Tonna) Limited, and in 1988 by the Glanderi Colliery Company Limited. It worked the No.2 Rhondda.

 

TRIGLOYN COLLIERY
Dulais Valley

This was a small anthracite slant that was merged with Onllwyn Colliery in 1947.

 

TYN-Y-GRAIG COLLIERY
Crynant, Dulais Valley (c769026)

This was a small level that was worked from 1987 by the Tynygraig Mining Company in the Glyngwilym seam. It was abandoned on the 15th of January 1993.

 

WERN COLLIERY
Seven Sisters (835079)

Also called Caedegerw (which worked between 1956 and 1958 and was owned by J.A. Price and Others). Wern worked both the Upper and Lower Pinchin seams from 1958 until closure in 1962. Its owners were E.H. Jones and T.H. Davies.

 

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

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