Tondu, Bridgend (SS 8958 8502)
Also known as Brynmenin Colliery it was worked for gas, house and manufacturing coals in the area north of Tondu and Bryncethin. The No.1 slant was sunk in 1906 and the No.2 slant in 1910. The mineral take was 1,470 acres.
It was owned by the Coytrahen Park Colliery Company of Port Talbot which employed 118 men underground and 21 men on the surface in 1908/9 with the manager being E. Ace, 250 men at the colliery in 1910, 211 men in 1911 and 311 in 1913 when it was managed by D. M. Arbuckle. In 1915/16/18/19 the manager was J. Barrie and he employed 500 men, i.e. 430 men underground and 70 men on the surface.
The Coytrahen Park Colliery Company continued to work the colliery into the 1920s and employed 480 men in 1923. In January 1929 the colliery was dismantled and the Coytrahen Park Colliery Company wound up.
This mine worked the No.3 Rhondda seam from near the seams outcrop and where it was between 42 to 48 inches thick. It worked this seam at this thickness for a distance of three-quarters of a mile to the north where it thinned down to between 24 to 39 inches. Coytrahen Park also worked a small area of the No.2 Rhondda seam at a thickness of 49 inches.
Some statistics: Manpower:
- 1907: 44.
- 1908/9: 139.
- 1910: 250.
- 1911: 211.
- 1912: 368.
- 1913: 311.
- 1915/6: 500.
- 1918/9: 500.
- 1920: 500.
- 1922: 500.
- 1923: 480.
- 1924: 459.
- 1925: 400.
- 1927: 386.
- 1928: 64.
This information has been provided by Ray Lawrence, from books he has written, which contain much more information, including many photographs, maps and plans. Please contact him at welshminingbooks@gmail.com for availability.
Return to previous page