Near Kenfig Hill, Bridgend (SS 8226 8342)

Link to map

In 1884 this mine was owned by Williams and Davies and managed by L.W. Lewis. The Cribbwr Fawr Colliery Company which was based at Wind Street, Swansea, was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association and used G. E. Llewellyn & Company as their sales agents.

The No.1 Slant was driven into the Upper-Nine-Feet seam and was replaced by the Newlands Slant. The No.2 Slant was driven into the Lower-Nine-Feet seam. The No.3 Slant was started in c1910. It was 350 yards to the south of the No.1 Slant and struck the Slatog Fawr seam 440 yards from the mouth of the slant and then followed this seam north-east. Workings were limited to the north by the huge geological fault called the Newlands Thrust.

The Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, which included the Margam Slant, worked for house and manufacturing coals to the west of Kenfig Hill and was one of the most southerly mines of the Coalfield.

On August 12th, 1909, David Thomas, aged 46 years, married with three children and Owen Davies aged 24 years, were killed when they touched an electric cable in the main slant on their way to their workplaces and were electrocuted.

The Colliery Guardian dated the 30th of January 1914 reported that “four good seams have been proven further south than they had previously been assumed.” It employed 280 men underground and 71 men on the surface in 1908 when the manager was Thomas Rees, 459 men in 1911 and 592 men in 1913 and 610 men in 1916 when it was still managed by Thomas Rees. He was still manager in 1918 when the No.1 employed 232 men, the No.2 employed 510 men, and there were 152 men working on the surface, there were also 16 men underground and 53 men on the surface sinking a new drift. In 1923 this colliery was still managed by T.J. Reece.

The No.2 Slant closed in 1924, and the No.1 Slant in 1928, and the No.3 Slant employed 476 men working underground in 1930 when the manager was Evan Morgan.

The colliery is still shown as operational as late as 1932 when it employed 900 men with Newlands Colliery and was managed by P. Hughes. At that time it was owned by the Cribbwr Fawr Collieries Limited. This company was based at Salisbury House, Wind Street, Swansea with the directors being Colonel Sir William Charles Wright, Colonel John Beaumont Neilson, Sir John Field Beale, I.F.I. Elliot, J.S. Hollings and C.H. Keen.

The Colliery Guardian reported that on the 7th of September 1928 a ‘white sparrow’ was seen on the headgear causing widespread fear of a coming disaster.

In 1934 it was managed by James Lewis. I am assuming that this was the New Cribbwr Slant. This colliery extensively worked the Gellideg seam which it called the Cribbwr Fawr seam and had a thickness of between 7 feet to 8 feet. Also extensively worked was the Yard seam which is called the Six-Feet seam, this seam had a section of 54 inches this seam was abandoned in November 1929.

The Upper-Nine-Feet seam which was called the South Fawr seam was extensively worked and had a thickness of between 10 feet to 13 feet. The Lower-Nine-Feet seam was worked and called the Ail seam, while the Upper-Five-Feet seam was worked as the Nine-Feet seam and was 145 inches thick interlaced with dirt partings. The New Cribbwr Slant also worked the Cribbwr Fawr (Gellideg) seam at a thickness of between 7 feet to 8 feet. Generally this colliery’s coals were classed as type 301B Prime Coking Coals, suitable for use as foundry or blast furnace coke.

Some of those who died at this mine:

  • 4/7/1914, Courtney Billings, aged 20, assistant collier, roof fall.
  • 30/9/1925, Thomas L. Evans, aged 64, assistant repairer, roof fall.
  • 13/11/1925, Ernest C. Watkins, aged 41, assistant repairer, Henry Lewis, aged 41, assistant repairer, roof fall.
  • 21/12/1925, Reginald Parminter, aged 32, collier, roof fall.
  • 9/2/1928, William Davies, aged 45, repairer, run over by trams.
  • 19/12/1928, Idris Davies, aged 44, haulier, crushed by trams.
  • 15/1/1929, Leslie Dodd, aged 16, assistant collier, roof fall.

 

Some Statistics: Manpower:

  • 1907: 215.
  • 1908: 351.
  • 1909: 351.
  • 1910: 528.
  • 1911: 459.
  • 1912: 443.
  • 1913: 592.
  • 1915/6: 610.
  • 1918: 964.
  • 1920/2: 725.
  • 1923: 788.
  • 1924: 840.
  • 1925: 900 with Newlands.
  • 1927: 598.
  • 1928: 703
  • 1930: 945.
  • 1932: 900.
  • 1940: 890.
  • 1942: 686.

 

CRIBBWR MAIN COLLIERY

Near Bridgend

This mine was mentioned on the 1878/1882 records as being owned by the Cribbwr Main Coal & Coke Co and being managed by D. Ellis. In 1884 it was owned by Williams & Davies with the manager being L.W. Lewis.

A Cribbwr Colliery is also mentioned as working in the 1850’s and a New Cribbwr was abandoned in 1908. It was owned by the Cribbwr Colliery Company.

The Cribbwr Main abandoned the Lantern seam prior to July 1879 and then again in December 1891 and abandoned the Werntarw seam in July 1885. The Rock Fawr seam was worked around 1885.

The New Cribbwr worked the Fawr, Ail, Cribbwr, Five-Quarter, Slatog and Cribbwr Fawr seams which it abandoned in September 1908.

Ventilation of this mine was by a steam-driven 5 feet diameter Schiele type fan.

At this mine on the 21st of December 1881, Llewellyn Griffiths, aged 25 years, and a rider, was run over and killed by trams. On the 24th of July 1883, William Chilcott, aged 23 years, and a collier, was killed under a roof fall and on the 20th of January 1887, W.T. Haberkirk, aged 28 years, and a fireman, was killed in an explosion of gas.

 

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.

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