Rock Colliery

Glyn-neath, Vale of Neath

A drift mine that worked the Bluers seam which had a thickness of coal 28 inches, dirt 3 inches, and coal 25 inches. It also worked the Nine-Feet seam which had a thickness of coal 15 inches, dirt 18 inches, coal 72 inches. It was listed as not working in 1913/1918 when it was managed by D.J. Walters, but by 1917 it is shown as being owned by the Rock Colliery Company which was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

During the 1925 Anthracite District Strike, this colliery was the last of the anthracite mines to continue working. That is until it was stopped by a crowd of 700 strikers amid rioting and baton charges by the police. This anthracite slant became part of Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1928 with John Jones as the manager, and in 1935 was worked in conjunction with Aberpergwm, Cefn Coed, Llwynon, Glynneath and Glyncorrwg collieries as the Aberpergwm Collieries. They employed 286 men on the surface and 1,225 men underground. The manager was J.O. Howells. In 1945 it was still managed by J. Jones.

On Nationalisation in January 1947, Rock Colliery was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.1 (Swansea) Area, and at that time employed 155 men working on the surface and 580 men working underground in the Lower Bluers, Grey and Lower Peacock seams. The manager at that time was E.H. Perkins.

By 1954 the colliery had been re-assigned to the new No.9 (Neath) Area, No.1 Group, and at that time employed 151 men working at the surface of the mine and 485 men working underground in the Grey Vein. The manager was M. Davies. In 1955 out of the total colliery manpower of 658 men, 260 of them worked at the coalfaces of this colliery. This coalface figure rose slightly to 263 men in 1956 but dropped to 231 men working at the coalfaces in 1958.

In 1958 with the opening of the new Pentreclwydau Drift, the slants in this area were completely re-organised; this New Drift was to be manned by men who were working in the Aberpergwm and Rock slants and exploit the western take of Aberpergwm, a new surface was to be constructed including a new washery at Aberpergwm, which would also wash Cwmgwrach’s coals. The Aberpergwm, Rock and Pentreclwydau NUM Lodges were merged into one.

The Rock Colliery was closed in October 1961.

Some Statistics:

• 1907: Manpower: 59.
• 1909: Manpower: 88.
• 1910: Manpower: 167.
• 1911: Manpower: 118.
• 1912: Manpower: 215.
• 1915: Manpower: 230.
• 1916: Manpower: 230.
• 1923: Manpower: 366. Output: 60,000 tons.
• 1924: Manpower: 705.
• 1925: Manpower: 900.
• 1927: Manpower: 900.
• 1932: Manpower: 650.
• 1933: Manpower: 649.
• 1937: Manpower: 644.
• 1938: Manpower: 488.
• 1945: Manpower: 622.
• 1947: Manpower: 735.
• 1948: Manpower: 766. Output: 150,000 tons.
• 1949: Manpower: 718.
• 1950: Manpower: 685.
• 1953: Manpower: 758. Output: 228,600 tons.
• 1954: Manpower: 636. Output: 186,000 tons.
• 1955: Manpower: 658. Output: 163,111 tons.
• 1956: Manpower: 619. Output: 128,169 tons.
• 1957: Manpower: 619. Output: 128,700 tons.
• 1958: Manpower: 575. Output: 102,685 tons.
• 1960: Manpower: 325. Output: 85,000 tons.

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