Pentremawr Colliery

Nr Llannon (No.1 49401043/No.2. 49351042/Phil Skym 50031085)

This was a series of slants driven into the anthracite seams near where they outcropped on the western extremity of the main Coalfield. There was an old Pentremawr in existence and owned by Elkington pre-1840. The Pentremawr Colliery Company of Pontyberem opened there first two slants in 1870 but abandoned them when they struck a geological fault, another four slants were then driven and named Capel Ifan Nos. l, 2, 3 and 4 Slants. In 1883 it was managed by William John and in 1884/7 it was managed by John Harry who worked the Braslyd seam. In 1896 the colliery was managed by W.W. Walton.

The Capel Ifan Slants were used to exploit the Gwendraeth, Braslyd, Gras and Triquart seams, and in 1901 they worked on the longwall method of coal extraction with naked lights. In 1913 the Pumpquart No.4 Slant was driven to work the Pumpquart seam. In 1916 the manager was R. Griffiths and in 1919 it was H. Seymour.

The Big or Hwch seam was worked but thickened to 40 feet in parts and then disappeared altogether, there was a small amount of the Pumpquart/Trichwart seam worked at a thickness of 69 inches, it also worked the Pumpquart on its own. It extensively worked the Gwendraeth (Yard) seam at a thickness of between 34 to 36 inches, the Big was worked plus an attempt was made to work the lower leaf of the Pumpquart which was called the Low or Little Vein and had a section of 21 inches. Also worked extensively was the Braslyd seam which had a section of coal 7 inches, dirt 3 inches, coal 22 inches. Attempts to work the Stanllyd seam failed.

The Pentremawr Slant that was abandoned in 1892 worked the Gras Uchaf seam at a thickness of between 27 to 32 inches. The old Pentremawr that was abandoned in 1875 worked the Stanllyd or Hwch seam as the Big for 300 yards before abandoning it. This mine was opened by the Pentremawr Colliery Company Limited which was absorbed into the United Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1926, that company in turn was absorbed into Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1927 when the manager was C. Humphreys. In 1908 they employed 260 men underground and 73 men on the surface with R.G. Griffiths as manager and in 1918 there were 442 men employed underground and 157 men on the surface with the manager now being W.H. Seymour. In 1935 the colliery employed 250 men on the surface and 792 men underground and was managed by Colonel Woods.

In March of 1939, the pithead baths were opened at this colliery by Mrs. Llewellyn the wife of the general manager of AAC. They cost £22,000 to construct but were not fully used for another week as the pit was lying idle due to lack of trade at that time. In 1945 the manager was J. Nicholas. On the 3rd of July 1945 and “outburst” of gas and 600 tons of coal killed two miners.

On Nationalisation of the Nation’s coal mines in January 1947, Pentremawr Colliery was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.1 (Swansea) Area, No.1 (Pentremawr) Group, and at that time employed 157 men on the surface and 561 men underground working the Gras, Big Vein and Pumpquart seams. The manager was J. Nicholas. By 1954 manpower had increased to 155 men on the surface and 723 men underground working the Big Vein, Hwch and Pumpquart seams with the manager now being D.N.M. Davies who was still there in 1949.

On the 13th of August 1951 following work in the holiday when the old steam engine for the Pumpquart slant was replaced by a 450 hp electric one, the spake was being lowered empty when the brakes failed and ran wild for a distance of 750 yards. In 1954/55 this colliery was one of 42 that caused concern to both the NUM and the NCB over the high level of accidents. This colliery had its own coal preparation plant (washery) and was the site of a central workshop. In 1956 this pit produced its record production figures producing 1,372 tons of coal in one day, 7,025 tons in a week and 26,938 tons of coal for the month of May. In 1955 there were 398 men employed at the coalfaces at this colliery, the coalface figure dropped to 366 men in 1956, and further to 323 men working at the coalfaces in 1958. In 1957 the NUM Lodge at this colliery had 200 unemployed members – the highest figure in the Swansea Area.

In 1961 this colliery was still in the No.1 Area, No.1 Group, along with Blaenhirwaun, Cynheidre, Cross Hands and Great Mountain Collieries. The total manpower for this Group was 2,810 men, while total coal production for that year was 465,801 tons. In the mid-1960s it was linked to Cynheidre Colliery.

The National Union of Mineworkers Lodge Secretary at this pit was H. Jones in 1964. In 1967 the manager was V.K. Jones and this mine was working the Big Vein and Pumpquart seams. The Pumpquart No.4 Slant was closed in 1968, and the rest of the colliery was integrated with Cynheidre Colliery on the 31st of March 1974. Cynheidre Colliery closed in 1989. For further details please see the  Cynheidre Colliery page.

Some statistics:

• 1896: Manpower: 160.
• 1899: Manpower: 269. Capel Ifan Slants.
• 1900: Manpower: 275. Capel Ifan Slants.
• 1901: Manpower: 265. Capel Ifan Slants.
• 1902: Manpower: 271.
• 1908: Manpower: 333. Capel Ifan Slants.
• 1909: Manpower: 333. Capel Ifan Slants.
• 1911: Manpower: 390.
• 1912: Manpower: 493.
• 1913: Manpower: 496.
• 1916: Manpower: 496.
• 1918: Manpower: 599.
• 1920: Manpower: 650.
• 1922: Manpower: 700.
• 1923: Manpower: 956.
• 1924: Manpower: 1,007.
• 1926: Manpower: 1,034. Pentremawr Nos. 1 to 5 Slants.
• 1927: Manpower: 1,004.
• 1928: Manpower: 688.
• 1930: Manpower: 1,042. Pentremawr Nos. 1 to 4 Slants.
• 1934: Manpower: No.1: 598. No.4: 341.
• 1935: Manpower: 1,042.
• 1937: Manpower: No.1: 567. No.4: 338.
• 1938: Manpower: No.1: 546. No.4: 331.
• 1940: Manpower: 789.
• 1941: Manpower: 798.
• 1942: Manpower: 684.
• 1944: Manpower: 720.
• 1947: Manpower: 718.
• 1948: Manpower: 709. Manpower: 200,000 tons.
• 1949: Manpower: 678. Output: 200,000 tons.
• 1950: Manpower: 673.
• 1953: Manpower: 741. Output: 180,000 tons.
• 1954: Manpower: 878. Output: 203,000 tons.
• 1955: Manpower: 858. Output: 201,019 tons.
• 1956: Manpower: 882. Output: 226,273 tons.
• 1957: Manpower: 879. Output: 224,770 tons.
• 1958: Manpower: 885. Output: 201,690 tons.
• 1960: Manpower: 834. Output: 215,535 tons.
• 1961: Manpower: 846. Output: 188,736 tons.
• 1962: Manpower: 836.
• 1964: Manpower: 823.
• 1965: Manpower: 786.
• 1969: Manpower: 655.

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