LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Llantwit Fardre, Llantrisant

The Llantwit Slant (076805) was owned by Gubbings and Richards between 1905 to 1907 and then Gubbings and Evans in 1908 followed by the Llantwit Red Ash Colliery Company of Porth who employed 22 men in 1910/11 and 52 men in 1912. It was abandoned in 1915.

The LLANTWIT WORKS mine was opened by Thomas Powell in 1854, he became Thomas Powell and Son in 1860 with the executors running the place in 1869/70. It was abandoned in 1871.

 

LLANTWIT MAIN COLLIERY
Beddau, Llantrisant. 061838.

This was a small mine that worked the No.3 Llantwit seam at a section of between 48 inches to 58 inches. Its early history is tied up with Llwyn cwm Colliery with the Llantwit Main Colliery Company taking over that operation and sinking two pits in 1865. It was closed in 1871.
On the 4th of August 1868, T. Thomas, a collier was killed by a roof fall. Also called Bute Colliery.

 

LLANTWIT RED ASH COLLIERY
Near Llantrisant 076855.

The Llantwit Red Ash Coal Company owned this mine in 1873, but in 1874 it was in the hands of the Coedcae Coal Company for a short while until it was taken over by Powell’s Llantwit Company who ran it between 1875 and 1877. It was abandoned in 1879. This small mine was sub titled Bryn Pit in 1893 when it was owned by the Llantwit Red Ash Colliery Company of Llantwit Fardre and managed by Samuel Hollister. It was served by the Taff Vale Railway that had a sidings capacity in 1897 of, 11 full wagons and 35 empty wagons. In 1896 it was still owned by the Llantwit Red Ash Coal Company of Llantwit Fardre and employed 31 men underground and 12 men on the surface, the manager was S. Hollister. I can find no trace of it in 1913, this may be due to it employing less than 10 men, but in 1915/6 it employed 73 men. It is probably the same mine as Ystrad Barwig.

Just a couple of those that died at this mine:

  • 16/07/1891, Daniel Abraham, Age: 64: Overman: Explosion of firedamp.
  • 6/05/1894, William Morgan, Age: 24: Engineman: Fell against the drum of a small sinking engine while it was in motion.
  • 9/3/1914, Richard Jenkins, Age: 49, Miner, He was slightly injured by a small fall sometime in November; he continued to work until February 1914, but died on March 9th, 1914, from blood poisoning from the result of the accident.

 

LLANTWIT RHONDDA COLLIERY
Near Tonyrefail, Ely Valley

This was a small level that was owned by the Llantwit Rhondda Colliery Company of Tonypandy in 1893 when it employed six men working underground. It employed 60 men in 1900 and appears to have closed in 1901 when it abandoned the Penygroes seam.

 

LLANTWIT WALLSEND COLLIERY.
Beddau, Llantrisant. 069836.

This was a small level that worked the No.3 Llantwit seam at a thickness of between 48 inches to 58 inches. It was opened by the Llantwit Wallsend Colliery Company in 1864 but their partnership collapsed in 1867 and a new one of W.B. Watkins, James Ware, James Tulloch, Michael Davis, Joseph, William and David Lewis plus W.P. Stevenson formed the Llantwit Walls End Coal Company in 1868 to 1878 with a break for J. Lewis who owned it between 1871 and 1872. In 1896 it was owned by Edward James and Company of Cardiff and employed 12 men underground and 11 men on the surface producing house coal. It closed in 1897.

 

NORTH LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Llantrisant

This mine was worked for house coal by the Llantwit Coal Company in 1878 when it was managed by J. Hale. In 1903 it was owned by Alfred Morris and in 1911 it was owned by the North Llantwit Colliery Company. It was not listed in 1913.

Some statistics:

  • 1899: Manpower: 5.
  • 1900: Manpower: 20.
  • 1901: Manpower: 3.
  • 1902: Manpower: 6.
  • 1903: Manpower: 5.

 

TAFF LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Llantwit Fardre (08908541)

This level was worked as early as the 1830s by George Insole. As Maesmawr in 1842, the Royal Commission on Women and Children working in mines heard the story of John Fudge an eleven year old pump boy who told them; “I am so very tired at times that I can hardly care about eating.” He earned six shillings per week.

In the 1890s it was working the No.3 Llantwit seam by the long wall method using naked lights. The downcast shaft was 8 feet in diameter and 96 feet deep and the upcast shaft was 4 feet 6 inches in diameter and also 96 feet deep. Ventilation was by the exhaust steam from a pump. On the 29th of July 1892 the Taff Llantwit Colliery Company Limited of Cardiff was formed with a capital of £100,000 in £10 shares. In 1896 this colliery employed 55 men underground and 17 men on the surface with the manager being David P Thomas. It worked the Nos.2 and 3 (Rhondda) Llantwit seams until closure in 1897. It was served by the Taff Vale Railway it had a sidings capacity for 18 full wagons and 19 empty wagons.

 

WARREN LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Llantwit Fadre, Llantrisant

This mine abandoned the No.3 Llantwit seam in March 1908. It was owned by the Warren Llantwit Red Ash Colliery Company it employed five men in 1903. Please also see the listing on Maesmawr Colliery.

 

WEST LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Beddau, Llantrisant 051850.

This mine appears to have started its life as Llantrisant Common Colliery in 1866 under the ownership of Thomas Powell. It produced about 50 tons of coal a day and was abandoned in 1867.

In 1890 Edward Jenkins worked a West Llantwit but in 1891 the mine was flooded putting him out of business and the mine into the hands of his mortgagees. It was placed up for auction in 1893 but remained unsold until James Lock bought it in 1894 but he realised it would not pay for itself and held it for less than a year. It was listed in 1895/96 as being owned by Horatio Nance and Company of Cardiff and in that year employed 12 men working underground and 3 men on the surface. It produced house coal.

 

DUFFRYN LLANTWIT COLIERY
Llantwit Fardre, Llantrisant.

This mine was worked for house coal by T & J Edmunds in 1911 when it employed 42 men, and by the Duffryn Llantwit Colliery Company of Pontypridd in 1913 when it employed 66 men. The manpower increased to 100 in 1916 with J. Steele as the manager.

It was owned in 1917 by the British Red Ash Collieries Limited which did not join the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association and in 1918 employed 55 men underground and 16 men on the surface being managed by H.A. Bowen.

It abandoned the No.2 Llantwit and closed in June 1918.

 

ELY LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Tonyrefail, Ely Valley

This was a small level that worked the sulfurous Ty Du seam at a thickness of coal 32 inches, dirt 2 inches, coal 16 inches. It was one of the very few mines to work this seam. In 1893 it was abandoned by its owners the Ely Llantwit Colliery Company of Tonyrefail.

 

GARTH LLANTWIT COLLIERY
Llantwit Fadre.
This mine failed to find a workable seam and was abandoned in 1883.

 

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

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