Cwmmawr Colliery

Near Cwmavon, Afan Valley 77351/93005

This mine was working as early as 1876 to feed the Cwmavon Works by the English Copper Company. The Cwm Byr seam was being worked in 1880 when owned by Governor and Company. It also worked the White, Tormynydd, Clay, Cwm Mawr, Black and ironstone seams. It abandoned the Cockshott Seam in September 1891 and the Golden Seam in January 1927. In 1890 it came into the hands of Wright, Butler and Company who abandoned it in 1891.

In 1908 this mine employed 25 men underground and 5 men on the surface, and in 1918 it employed 28 men underground and 5 men on the surface. In 1917 the Skewen Wernavon Colliery Company was operating the Wernavon Colliery. In 1920 this Company had changed its name to New Skewen Wernavon Colliery Company and was by now working the Cwmmawr Colliery producing house, manufacturing and coking coals. It employed 25 men with Thomas Redshaw the manager. In 1922 it employed 70 men. By 1923 the colliery was in the hands of the Briton Ferry Collieries Limited of Station Road, Port Talbot, who employed 83 men working underground and 12 men working at the surface of the mine producing 30,000 tons of coal. The manager was Thomas Loughor. In 1924 it employed 133 men and in 1926 it employed 120 men. In 1927/30 the manager was Jenkin Thomas. In 1930/3 it employed 7 men on the surface and 72 men underground producing 35,000 tons of coal. The manager at that time was Hadyn Davies. In that year the Briton Ferry Collieries Limited was based at Post Office Chambers, Port Talbot with the directors being; R. Gibb Junior, H. Williams, R. McEwan, W. Frame Gibb, W.J. Thomas and C. Noot. This company was incorporated in 1922 and by 1932 it employed 120 men, in 1933 was producing 35,000 tons of coal from Cwmmawr and Maesmelyn and in 1940 it employed 79 men.

The Cwmmawr was abandoned in 1933 only to be re-opened in 1939 and worked by the Cwmavon Colliery Company until it was again closed in 1940, only for the Big Vein and Four-Feet levels to be re-opened in 1942 by the same company who worked them until 1944.

Not working by Nationalisation in 1947, and not to be confused with New Cwmmawr Colliery of Cwmmawr in the Gwendraeth Valley.

This mine abandoned the Cockshot, Golden, New Rider, Black, Cwmmawr, Cwmbyr, Clay, Clay Rider, White and Tormynydd seams in 1933. The Big, Four-Feet, Lower Clay and Five-Feet seams in 1944. The No.3 abandoned the No.2 Rhondda, No.3 Rhondda and No.3 Rhondda Rider seams in 1940.

Some statistics:

• 1908: Manpower: 30.
• 1918: Manpower: 33.
• 1920: Manpower: 25.
• 1922: Manpower: 70.
• 1923: Manpower: 95.
• 1924: Manpower: 133.
• 1926: Manpower: 120.
• 1927: Manpower: 70.
• 1928: Manpower: 82.
• 1930: Manpower: 79.
• 1932: Manpower: 120.
• 1933: Manpower: 46.
• 1937: Manpower: 115.
• 1938: Manpower: 99.
• 1940: Manpower: 79.

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