Marine Colliery

Cwmavon, Afan Valley (795975/793969)

A difficult mine to chart, it is not on the 1878 listings, and first appears on Campion’s map of 1895, and in 1896 it was owned by the Marine Coal Company of Swansea but is listed as not working. It then disappears until 1932 when it is owned by J. Farraday of Port Talbot. He employed 22 men at this mine in 1937 and 12 men in 1938.

The next mention that we can find of it, or another Marine, is in 1943/5 when it is still owned by Mr. Farraday and employed 22 men working the Mountain seam.

In 1955/7 it is shown as a small level worked under licence from the National Coal Board by the Marine Colliery Company Limited of Tonmawr. At that time it employed 14 men working underground in the Mountain vein and 3 men at the surface of the mine. It was possibly at the top end of Cwmgwenffrwd.

In 1960 it is under the ownership of the Cefnmorfydd Colliery Limited, but by 1970 there is no trace of it.

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