Trebanos, Swansea Valley 77530/08378

This level was located approximately 1.5 miles to the east of Clydach Merthyr Colliery and between Clydach and Pontardawe. It was opened by the Daren Colliery Company of Pontardawe in 1906 to work the Hughes Vein. The directors of the company were W. Craven Llewellyn and
J. Llewellyn in 1936.

By 1935 it employed 20 men on the surface and 65 men underground producing house, manufacturing and steam coals. The manager was W.Rees. In 1939 a coal preparation plant was installed that could clean 250 tons of coal a day. In 1943/5 the manager was E. Alexander with this colliery employing 107 men working underground in the Hughes Vein and 47 men working at the surface of the mine.

Daren Colliery came under National Coal Board control in 1947 and was placed in the NCB’s South Western Division’s, No.1 Swansea Area. At that time this level employed 26 on the surface and 123 men underground. Its coal was classed as semi-anthracite. The manager at that time was still E. Alexander. He was still there in 1949.

Manpower remained fairly constant and in 1954, 30 men worked on the surface of the mine and 120 men worked underground. The manager was now W.B. Watkins. It had its own coal preparation plant (washery). In 1955, 81 men were employed at the coalfaces at this colliery, the coalface figure dropped to 72 men at the coalfaces out of a total of 140 men in 1958. In 1961 Daren Colliery was in the No.1 Area’s, \no.3 Group along with Clydach Merthyr, Felinfran and Graig Merthyr collieries, the total manpower for the Group was 1,449 men, while coal production for the year was 478,452 tons. The Group Manager was D. Griffiths and the Area Manager was J.G. Tait.

Daren Colliery which worked the stall system of coal extraction to the end of its life was closed on the 17th of October 1964.

Some statistics:

  • 1933: Manpower: 81.
  • 1935: Manpower: 85. Output: 30,000 tons.
  • 1937: Manpower: 129.
  • 1938: Manpower: 122.
  • 1940: Manpower: 125.
  • 1942: Manpower: 135. Output: 54,000 tons.
  • 1943: Manpower: 154.
  • 1945: Manpower: 154.
  • 1947: Manpower: 159.
  • 1948: Manpower: 144. Output: 50,000 tons.
  • 1949: Manpower: 174. Output: 50,000 tons.
  • 1950: Manpower: 179.
  • 1953: Manpower: 159 Output: 55,000 tons.
  • 1954: Manpower: 150. Output: 42,870 tons.
  • 1955: Manpower: 153. Output: 44,490 tons.
  • 1956: Manpower: 150. Output: 50,352 tons.
  • 1957: Manpower: 146. Output: 52,658 tons.
  • 1958: Manpower: 140. Output: 49,216 tons
  • 1959: Manpower: 130.
  • 1960: Manpower: 129. Output: 43,691 tons.
  • 1961: Manpower: 116.
  • 1964: Manpower: 109. Output: 39,790 tons.

 

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

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