Coalbrook Vale Collieries

Nantyglo, Ebbw Fach Valley 191109, Coke Yard Pit 199107, Deep Pit 193102.

The Coalbrookvale Deep Pit (191092) was owned by Cruttwell, Levick and Company in 1858/65 and by Major McDonald in 1870. This was an umbrella name to cover the pits and levels owned by the Coalbrookvale Coal Company (J.G. and W. Barnes of Nantyglo) in the last century and managed in 1878 by D. Lewis, and in 1888 by T. Morgan.
In 1884 they consisted of; Deep Pit, Ffosmaen, Coke Yard and Trawstre and were managed by D. Lewis.

On the 13th of June 1888, John Vaughn was struck on the head by a stone while working underground at this colliery, he managed to walk the two miles home before he died that night – he was only 12 years of age.

In 1896 Coalbrook Vale was managed by D. Rees and employed 511 men underground and 120 men on the surface working the Old Coal, Bydelog and New Vein seams. In 1899 they employed 489 men, in 1900 they employed 467 men with the Coke Yard Pit only used for pumping purposes. In 1901 they employed 410 men. In 1902 they employed 308 men.

They were owned by the Coalbrook Vale Coal Company and then Sylvanus Jones and Company at the beginning of the 20th Century. He was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

In 1903 the Deep Pit employed 89 men, in 1905 the Deep Pit employed 100 men, in 1907 the Deep Pit employed 119 miners and in 1908 they employed 96 men underground and 20 men on the surface with the manager being W.B. Dixon and in 1909 it employed 116 men. In 1910 they employed 146 men, 1911 they employed 155 men and in 1912 they employed 112 men. Mr. Dixon was still the manager in 1915/6 when it employed 157 men. In 1918 Benjamin Jones was manager and it employed 118 men underground and 40 men on the surface.

Manpower increased sharply in 1919 and it employed 260 men in that year, it then dropped to 200 men employed in 1920. In 1923 the Coalbrookvale Deep Pit was listed as employing 236 men working underground and 34 men working at the surface of the mine. The manager was now E.W. Watkins. In 1924/25 it employed 450 men.

The mines included the Coke Yard, Deep and Foesmaen. The Coalbrookvale Deep Pit was a different mine to the Nantyglo Deep Pit which was about 400 yards to the north of it. In 1932 a small level bearing this name was owned by E. & J. Davies who employed 3 men on the surface and 6 men underground producing 1,162 tons of house coal from the Big Vein (Four-Feet) seam.

The coal seams in the Nantyglo/Blaina area are some of the most exploited seams in the Coalfield and were virtually exhausted by the beginning of the 20th century. Workings started with the advent of the ‘great’ Iron Works towards the end of the 18th Century and switched to the steam coal trade in the middle of the 19th Century. The seams
encountered by these collieries were:

• Garw seam at 0.7 metres thickness.
• Old Coal (Five-Feet/Gellideg) seam at coal 0.63 metres, dirt 0.33 metres, coal 0.76 metres.
• Lower-Seven-Feet seam at a thickness of 0.83 metres.
• Upper-Seven-Feet seam at coal 0.45 metres, dirt 0.15 metres, coal 0.3 metres.
• Yard seam was 1.2 metres. Lower-Nine-Feet seam at 1.2 metres.
• Upper-Nine-Feet seam is absent.
• Lower-Six-Feet seam 0.45 metres.
• Upper-Six-Feet seam 1 metre.
• Lower-Four-Feet seam 1.4 metres.
• Upper-Four-Feet seam at 1 metre.
• Eighteen Inch (Soap) seam was 0.4 metres.
• No.3 Rhondda (Old Man’s Coal) seam at 0.4 metres.
• Top Brithdir seam was 0.6 metres.
• Bottom Brithdir seam at 0.71 metres in thickness.

The Meadow Vein was abandoned in January 1914, the Big Vein in August 1925, the New in May 1924, while the Coalbrookvale, Griffin, High Pressure and Trostrae abandoned the Big, Elled and Three-quarter in April 1892.

The Coalbrookvale Deep and Trostrae abandoned the top section of the Big Vein in September 1916. In October 1927 the Colliery Guardian reported that this colliery had been dismantled and its equipment was up for sale.

In 1933/34 a Coalbrookvale New was in operation it employed nine men and was owned by E. & J. Davies.

COKE YARD LEVEL
Blaina, Ebbw Fach Valley 199107.

This mine was worked by the Coalbrook Vale Colliery Company and was sunk to the Yard seam although winding was from the Black Vein at a depth of fifty yards. The shaft was elliptical, 14 feet by 10 feet and connected to the pumping pit which was 27 feet away and sunk to the Old Coal seam.

It was in the Old Coal (Five-Feet/Gellideg) seam in 1878 when it was managed by D. Lewis. Work at this mine was suspended in 1888 and it does not appear to have been worked after this date. The manager in 1888 was T. Morgan. The Black Vein (Nine-Feet) seam was 47 inches thick at this pit.

There was a Coke Yard level in operation at Nantyglo around 1927/8 when it employed 12 men.

DEEP PIT
Nantyglo, Ebbw Fach Valley

One of the old workings of J. & C. Bailey and later the Coalbrook Vale Collieries that was re-organised to make Beynon Colliery in 1925. Managed by D. Lewis in 1878 and by T. Morgan in 1888. Please see the listing on Beynon Colliery.

The north pit at 141 feet deep and the south pit at 492 feet deep were filled in 1964.
On the 7th of July 1868, Isaac Rees aged 50 years and a collier, died at this pit when buried under a roof fall. While on 8/05/1874, William Cole, Age: 23: Collier: died under a Fall of rubbish and timber.

In 1913 Sylvanus Jones owned and managed a Deep Pit Drift.

TRAWSTRE COLLIERY
Nantyglo, Ebbw Fach Valley 194091

This was a small level that was owned by the Coalbrook Vale Company and managed by D. Lewis in 1878. In 1888 it was managed by T. Morgan, but then disappears from the lists.

On the 2nd of May 1892, James Williams, Aged: 50 years and a repairer: He was employed with others at an underground fire near the upcast shaft when a fall of roof and sides occurred which resulted in his death.

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