This was a series of pits that was opened by the Tredegar Iron Company to feed the Iron Works. Most started life as water balance pits and were worked on the contractor system, whereas, an agreement was made between the iron masters and a small group of miners to work the coal/ironstone from that particular mine. The owners would provide the capital and lease out the mine, and the contractors had to find the equipment and manpower to work it. They would then agree to produce a stipulated amount of coal/ironstone at a fixed price to be delivered to the works. Payment for this work would be made quarterly. When the contractors didn’t have enough money of their own to start the venture, they could normally obtain four months credit from Bristol merchants, and therefore supply provisions and tools to themselves and their workmen until payment was made. This system meant that both the contractors and the workmen were always in debt, and was the beginning of the hated truck system.

  • The No.1 Pit or Bryn Bach (127101.) was opened in 1818 and was still working in 1878, possibly closed in 1879.
  • The No.2 Pit (137099)or Evan Davies’ Pit was opened in 1820. It was also called Stanley’s Pit and is claimed to be the first water balance pit in this area. It abandoned the Little Yard seam in 1893.
  • The No.3 Pit or Quick’s Pit (149093) was opened in 1834 and was still working in 1878, it abandoned the Old Coal in September 1880. The Old Coal (Five-Feet/Gellideg) Group of seams consisted of, from the top seam; Yard coal 40 inches, clod 4 inches, Gilwich coal 16 inches, clod 46 inches, coal 20 inches, clod 33 inches, fireclay 29 inches, clod 9 inches, Old Coal seam 54 inches.
  • The No.4 Pit (139097) or Briggs’ pit was opened in 1830 and abandoned the Old Coal seam in 1889.
  • The No.5 Pit (139095) or Globe Pit was opened in 1840 and filled in 1948.
  • The No.6 Pit (142098)or Doctors Pit was opened in 1832 with work being suspended in 1888.
  • The No.7 Pit (136089) or Mountain Pit was opened in 1841 to a depth of 630 feet and was claimed to be the deepest water balance pit in the world. It produced 52,800 tons of coal in 1889 and 39,538 tons of coal in 1894. It was stopped in 1896. The average seam sections at this pit were; Engine Coal 45v, Meadow Vein; Top Coal 28 inches, clod 4 inches, coal 14 inches, Old Coal 37 inches, the Upper Rhas Las was 12 inches and the Lower Rhas Las was 25 inches. The Big Vein group of seams measured, from the top seam; Big Vein 72 inches, clod 36 inches, Yard seam 36 inches, clod 8 inches, Three-quarter seam 76 inches. In 1888 it worked the Little Yard and Old Coal seams and probably closed in 1897.
  • The No.8 Pit (142081) or Steven Charles Pit was opened in 1838 with work transferred to Whitworth Drift in 1888. It was filled in 1897.
  • The No.9 Pit (146091) was opened in 1839. It was a balance pit that only worked the Black Pins ironstone vein. Not listed in 1877.
  • The No.10 Pit 142090) or Yard pit was sunk in 1838 to a depth of 333 feet, with seam sections being; Elled 48 inches, Big Vein 72 inches, Three-quarter 75 inches, Rhas Las 33 inches, Bute 14 inches. It was filled in 1957.
  • The No.11 Pit (142080) or Evan Evans’ pit was opened in 1839 and filled in 1897.
  • The No.12 Pit or David Jervis’ pit was opened in 1840 and filled in 1897. During this period other pits in the area included; Cwm Rhos opened c 1802, as was Jack Edwards’ Level and Nant-y-Bwch Level. Tramroad Level was opened in 1812. The Ash Tree pit was opened in 1826 and was also known as Pwll Mary Isaac, it was filled in 1897. In 1830 the Water Wheel pit was opened followed by the Upper Ty Trist in 1841. The Yard Level worked between 1802 and 1823. The manager of these collieries in 1878 was H. Jones, and in 1888 the manager was W.H. Routledge. None survived to work in the 20th century but were phased out by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company when it was formed in 1873, and the impetus changed from iron making to coal production from deeper and larger pits.

 

AROSFA COLLIERY (117079)
This was a small level that was worked under license from the National Coal Board in the 1970’s. It was owned by the Tyladu Coal Level Co. Ltd. In 1971 and then by Iowerth Smith of Tredegar between 1971 and 1980. It worked the Elled seam.

BRON HEULOG COLLIERY (141107)
This small level worked the Garw seam under the ownership of John Bifton in 1909 and then E. Bufton & Sons. It employed 12 men when it was abandoned in 1912.

CWM RHOS COLLIERY
One of the earliest levels in this area when driven in 1802, one man died under a fall in 1852, it disappeared into the vast workings of the Tredegar Iron Company.

HARD LEVEL
This was one of the earliest levels in this area when opened in 1804 to feed the Tredegar Iron Works.

JACK EDWARDS COLLIERY
This was a small level that was opened near the northern outcrop of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures c1802. It was probably worked by the above named under the contractor system for the Tredegar Iron Company.

NANT-Y-BWCH COLLIERY (183106)
One of the earliest levels in the Tredegar area, it was sunk in 1802 into the outcropping seams of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures to feed the Iron Works with both coal and iron ore. The Old Coal seam was abandoned in 1916.

DUKE’S PIT
This mine was claimed to be the first pit in the South Wales Coalfield to use the water balance method of coal winding. It was the first pit to be sunk in the Tredegar area. Being sunk in 1806 near the northern outcrop of the coking coal seams of the Middle and Lower Coal Measures, it consisted of one shaft, 8 feet in diameter and 100 feet deep, and was owned by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. Its closure date is uncertain.

FORGE LEVEL (142088)
A level opened in 1804 to feed the Tredegar Iron Works. The closure date was 1876.

GARREG BICA COLLIERY. (14920930)
This was a small level that was opened in 1957 Lloyd & Mills In 1960 they employed one man and produced 198 tons. In 1961 it was taken over by S.W. Evans & L.J. Lewis who lasted until 1962. The New Cwmdows worked it between 1962 and 1965. At that time it was estimated that the reserves were 31,400 tons of coal. Finally, the Tredegar Mining Co. Ltd. worked it until 1969. This mine abandoned the Black Band in 1967, the Elled Seam in 1969 and the Big Vein in 1971

GARW COLLIERY
This small level appeared in 1924 when it was owned by the Garw Colliery Company and employed three men. In 1927 it employed 5 men and was owned by John Jones. It was abandoned on the 19th of March 1927.

GELLI COLLIERY
This was a small level that was working in 1902 employing six men under the ownership of the Gelly Colliery Company. I cannot find it in either 1888 or 1913.

PLANTATION COLLIERY
Definitely kept in the Williams family was this level. In 1918 it was owned and managed by D. Williams of Nantybwch and employed 16 men. In 1921 it was owned by D. Williams and Sons who in 1923 employed 6 men underground working the Yard seam and 2 men at the surface with D. Williams as the manager. In 1930 it was owned by A. Harris who still worked the Yard seam and employed seven men. In 1932 it was owned by Ben Williams, in 1935 by Williams’ Plantation Colliery Company Limited, and in 1938/1947 by Mrs. F. Williams of Tredegar. In 1935 it employed 4 men on the surface and 20 men underground producing 5,000 tons of house coal from the Old Coal (Five-Feet/Gellideg) seam. The manager at that time was B.E. Williams and in 1937 it employed 8 men but was listed as temporarily closed and in 1938 it employed 4 men underground and 2 men on the surface. The No.1 was abandoned in 1944 and in 1943/5 the No.2 employed 4 men working the Old Coal seam. The Yard seam was abandoned in 1945, the Brithdir Rider seam in 1948 and the Old Coal in March 1949 when it employed 4 men.

TRAMROAD LEVEL
This was one of the earliest levels in the Tredegar Area when it was driven in 1812 to feed the Iron Works. The closure date of this mine is uncertain

TRECATTY LEVEL
The original mine abandoned the Black Vein seam in February 1912. It employed 152 men in 1911. The opencast site was worked by Taylor Woodrow and produced 371,230 tonnes of coal and employed 103 men in 1979. It had a mined area of 285 acres which yielded about 1,000,000 tons of prime coking coal between 1975 and 1980.

PLYMOUTH COLLIERY (126103) Tafarnaubach,
This was a small level opened in 1901 and located 60 yards to the east of the inn of the same name. In 1903 it employed four men and was owned by Coronation Collieries Limited. It was owned by Ben Owen when it was abandoned in 1912. At this slope the Yard seam was 34 inches thick, then below it was 15 feet of clod followed by 28 inches of fireclay, 17 inches of clod and then the Old Coal seam which was 33 inches thick.

SHOP LEVEL
This was another of the small levels that was opened in 1804 to feed the Iron Works. It disappears into the other Tredegar Co’s workings.

Some of those that died in these mines;

  • 10/11/1851, Reuben Jones, Age: 22: Hitcher: Stone fell from side of pit.
  • 4/07/1852, John Jones Age: 49: Collier: Cwmrhos: Clod fell from top of level.
  • 22/07/1852, Thomas Brown, Age: 40: Collier: Ashtree: Fall of clod whilst ripping back.
  • 11/12/1852, Daniel James, Age: 55: Collier: New Pit: Fall of roof from slip.
  • 24/06/1853, Thomas Halton, Age: 26: Collier: Yard Level Fall of coal in stall.
  • 19/07/1853, Thomas Griffiths, Age: 10: Doorboy: Shop Coal Level: Fall of roof.
  • 1/01/1852, David Jones, Age: 19: Collier: Rock fell whist opening a stall.
  • 29/04/1853, John Williams, Age: 29: Collier: Fall of roof in stall.
  • 24/06/1853, Thomas Halton, Age: 26: Collier: Yard Level Fall of coal in stall.
  • 26/02/1856, Daniel Richards, Age: 57: Collier: Fall of coal whilst removing shale.
  • 13/06/1856, Robert Hughes, Age: 37: Collier: Crushed by roof whilst removing timber.
  • 14/06/1856, Evan Evans, Age: 7: Collier: Trams passed over him.
  • 9/09/1856, William Prosser, Age: 16: Haulier: No. 2: Killed by fall of roof in heading.
  • 21/02/1857, John Messenger, Age: 25: Collier: No.8: Fall in big vein ripping back in stall.
  • 12/03/1857, George Jones Age: 12: Collier: Drift : Fell out of tram while riding on incline.
  • 25/06/1857, Edward Hughes Age: 24: Collier: No.5: Fall of clod in old coal 30/07/1857, William Powell. Age: 32: Collier: No.8: Fall of upper yard coal from a slip.
  • 31/07/1857, Daniel Williams, Age: 36: Collier: No.8: Fall of roof while drawing back deep heading in old coal.
  • 6/10/1857, Thomas Price, Age: 31: Collier: No.4: Fall of roof after blasting.
  • 2/11/1857, Richard Williams, Age: 45: Collier: Globe: Explosion of firedamp by overman, John Phillips going into top of fall with naked light.
  • 22/12/1857, William James Age: 26: Collier: Ashtree: Fall of coal whilst filling tram.
  • 23/12/1857, Robert Fudge, Age: 22: No.8: Fall of coal from side.
  • 23/01/1858, Thomas Morris, Age: 69: Collier: Penmark Level: Fall of roof in removing a pillar of coal.
  • 18/08/1858 Jeremiah Brown, Age: 27: Collier: Fall of stone from roof in the old coal.
  • 25/01/1859, John Williams, Age: 33: Collier: Ash Tree: Fall of stone whilst knocking in the Big vein
  • 18/10/1859, David James, Age: 40: Colliery: No.8: Fall of stone in Big Vein.
  • 2/03/1860, Henry George, Age: 29: Collier: No.8: Drawing back his stall in the three quarter seam he knocked out a prop and the upper coal fell on him.
  • 16/04/1860, George Taylor, Age: 27: Collier: No.8: He had just commenced turning a stall when a tram full of coal fell from the side and so injured him that he died 17th.
  • 2/05/1860, Daniel Edwards, Age: 12: Filler: No.8: Killed in a stall the occupant of which had warned him to keep out.
  • 20/06/1860, John Trace, Age: 41: Collier: Fall of roof over coal whilst picking for ironstone.
  • 14/02/1861, Hugh Hughes, Age: 40: Miner: No.1 (ironstone): The gob gave way and brought a fall which pinned him.
  • 9/06/1861, John Lloyd, Age: 16: Miner: No.7 (ironstone): Stone fell from face while he was sitting down.
  • 31/08/1861, Thomas Harman, Age: 28: Collier: Yard Level: Trams ran wild and killed him.
  • 7/09/1861, Isaac Sayce, Age: 21: Collier: Drift: Fall of coal and rubbish from side of his stall.
  • 25/09/1861, William Jones Age: 13: Miner: No.2 Mine pit (ironstone): Fall of stone whilst throwing back mine.
  • 14/12/1861, Thomas Morgan Age: 22: Collier: No.4: On the 27th Nov. they entered a far end with a naked light although danger signals were duly set and both father and son were severely burned by the explosion firedamp. One died 5th the other 14th. Their object was to fill some coal which actually lay within the cross timbers or danger signal. 2 killed.
  • 16/12/1861, George Bolton, Age: 20: Miner: No.5 mine (ironstone): Heavy fall of stone.
  • 10/03/1862, Thomas Edmonds, Age: 26: Collier: No.8: Knocking out props a fall of clod
  • 5/07/1862, William Price, Age: 47: Collier: No.5: Heavy fall of roof over coal.
  • 5/08/1862, Joseph Jones, Age: 21: Mason: Mountain (Ironstone): Fell from carriage.
  • 25/09/1862, John Jones, Age: 17: Collier: Engine Coal Level: Holding back tram in front and his father holding on behind. The son lost his light and the old man was not sufficiently powerful to retain the whole weight consequently the tram passed over the young man and killed him.
  • 15/12/1862, Abraham Richards, Age: 16: Collier: No.8: Fall of coal whilst holing in three quarter coal.
  • 13/01/1863, William Lewis, Age: 48: Collier: Drift: Whilst occupied in turning a new stall a piece of coal of great weight detached itself.
  • 9/02/1863, George Thomas, Age: 34: Miner: No.5 (Ironstone): Fall of stone from roof.
  • 03/12/1863, Henry Sage, Age: 17: Collier: No.8: Heavy fall of coal whilst he was filling a tram.
  • 18/12/1863, James Roberts, Age: 39: Collier: Drift: Heavy fall of roof and coal.
  • 4/01/1864, Thomas Davis, Age: 60: Collier: Drift: Fall of over five tons of coal and stone whilst filling a tram in his stall.
  • 7/04/1864, Richard Nenniss, Age: 45: Collier: Tredegar No.8: Fall of about 4 tons of coal in his stall (big vein).
  • 25/04/1864, Evan Protheroe, Age: 20: Collier: Tredegar No.8: Fall of stone from roof which cut right into his brain.
  • 21/06/1864, Elias Tucker, Age: 14: Miner: No.7 (ironstone): Fall of stone 21/06/1864, Daniel Lewis Age: 14: Miner: No.7 (ironstone): He had bored a hole but just before firing it he commenced to fill a tram close under the very spot when suddenly about a half hundredweight of stone fell on him.
  • 29/09/1864, Charles James, Age: 23: Miner: No.5 (ironstone): Killed instantaneously in a very heavy fall of stone.
  • 5/10/1865, David Matthews, Age: 23: Miner: Tredegar (ironstone): Whilst holing the ground stone and stuff came down on him.
  • 9/3/1866, Richard Clayton, Age: 42: Collier: Killed by a fall of coal and rubbish in No.8 pit.
  • 12/03/1866, Thomas Hughes, Age: 51: Collier: A piece of stone fell on the day named in the Globe pit but with apparent very slight injury. Nevertheless he died 5th April.
  • 20/06/1866, David Jones, Age: 34: Collier: Burned by explosion of firedamp in No.8 pit.
  • 21/06/1866, Lewis Hughes, Age: 13: Collier: Working in the Globe pit with Henry Bowen in a wind way not more than 4 feet square when a stone fell on Bowen and landed on the boy.
  • 14/07/1866, George Giles, Age: 61: Collier: Drawing back the coal in the yard vein some of it fell.
  • 3/12/1866, Joseph Ware, Age: 45: Collier: He was coming up the drift when the slope chain broke and the trams overwhelmed him before he could find shelter and inflicted such injuries that he died.
  • 12/12/1866, Thomas Lewis, Age: 46: Collier: Heavy fall of coal in No.8.
  • 14/12/1866, John Evans, Age: 17: Miner: Tredegar (ironstone): Went down the Globe pit with 6 others and got out in the dark knowing it was the shaft bottom but he was unacquainted with it and lingered in the cage which began to ascend when he jumped out and was killed. The banksman was to blame as he did not give a signal and the hitcher was without excuse for not being present to receive the people.
  • 23/01/1867, David Williams, Age: 47: Miner: No.2 (ironstone): Fall of about 1ton of roof which killed him instantly.
  • 29/03/1867, Howell Phillips, Age: 26: Miner: No.2 (ironstone) Fall of stone owing to a slant.
  • 14/09/1867, Thomas Rees, Age: 30: Timberer: No.5 (ironstone): Fall of shale just previously loosened by a shot.
  • 12/10/1867, Walter Jenkins, Age: 39: Collier: Drift: Fall of coal whilst filling tram.
  • 8/08/1868, William Newman, Age: 40: Collier: Patch: Fall of coal from face of open work.
  • 22/09/1868, William Briggs, Age: 56: Collier: No. 8: Sudden fall about 3 tons of coal whilst he was sitting eating his dinner.
  • 23/09/1868, John Price Age: 31, Miner: Engine (ironstone): Fall of ground in longwall working.
  • 9/10/1868, Thomas Rowe, Age: 50: Collier: Patch (openwork): Fall of the overlie in a coal mine patch. The stuff that fell should have been terraced down from above and not undergone at the bottom.
  • 15/10/1868, Gwenllian Stagg, Age: 45: Patch (ironstone) open mine work: Fall of mine ground as she was filling a tram. I object to women taking this employment as they cannot jump back as men can. Female clothing is not adept for this work. (Coroner)
  • 18/02/1869, Thomas Monkley, Age: 41: Collier: Fall of roof in yard coal No.6 pit
  • 17/07/1869, Evan Griffiths, Age: 34: Collier: Fall of roof in No.5 pit.
  • 9/08/1869, Obidiah Lovell, Age: 41: Collier: Fall of yard coal in No.8 pit. 28/05/1870, William James, Age: 21: Collier: Riding out on a full set (against rules) the trams suddenly knocked out a pair of timbers and a fall of stuff from above immediately followed which killed him.
  • 23/12/1870, David Jones Age: 55: Miner: Tredegar (ironstone): Fall of roof in Black Pin mine No.9 pits.
  • 20/01/1871, Thomas Jones Age: 55: Miner: Tredegar (ironstone): Fall of roof in Viaduct level in Red vein.
  • 21/04/1871, John Hughes, Age: 37: Collier: Fell from rope coming up.
  • 24/05/1871, Frederick Snell, Age: 17: Collier: Fall of coal 24th May Died 1st June.
  • 21/06/1871, David Phillips, Age: 28: Collier: Explosion of firedamp in No.4 on 21st which injured 4 others.
  • 29/07/1871, William Ephraim, Age: 39: Collier: Ash Tree: Fall of coal and roof.
  • 21/10/1871, W. Owens, Age: 63: Miner: Tredegar (ironstone): Fall of roof in No.5 pit.
  • 11/01/1872, William Phillips, Age: 14: Miner: Tredegar (ironstone): Fell out of cage whilst ascending.
  • 12/01/1872, George Hill, Age: 23: Labourer: Patches: Fall of mass.
  • 12/02/1872, William Davis Age: 29: Haulier: Fall of roof in No.8 colliery.
  • 12/04/1872, James John,: Collier: Explosion of gas 12th Died 4th May.
  • 21/05/1872, Roger Davies Age: 32: Collier: Hurt by fall of roof 21st. Died next day.
  • 9/07/1872, Watkin Morgan Age: 13: Surface driver: Crushed by trams 9th. Died 15th.
  • 15/11/1872, William Rosser, Age: 36: Collier: Fall of roof.
  • 23/05/1873, Warriot Jones, Age: 60: Collier: Fall of roof. Died 14th June
  • 30/06/1873, Francis Morgan, Age: 21: Collier: Fall of roof.
  • 18/09/1873, Edward Pierce Jones, Age: 26: Collier: Fall of shale from side.
  • 24/12/1873, David Jervis, Age: 30: Collier: Fall of roof.
  • 27/04/1874, John Davis Age: 12: Haulier: Horse ran away and upset tram.
  • 30/06/1874, Edward Griffiths, Age: 12: Doorboy: Fall of coal at Forge Colliery.
  • 10/07/1874, William Johnson, Age: 28: Haulier: Crushed by trams in No8 Pit.
  • 8/08/1874, Rees Evans, Age: 16: Collier: Fall of roof in No 5 Pit. Died 10th.
  • 23/09/1874, Edward Lawrence, Age: 60: Collier: Premature shot. Died 13th Oct.
  • 16/12/1874, Jeremiah Sullivan, Age: 13: Trammer: Crushed by wagons
  • 24/12/1874, David Evans, Age: 42: Collier: Crushed by trams Died 2nd Jan 1875.
  • 2/06/1875, Edward Bassett, Age: 35: Collier: Fall of stone in No 5 Pit.
  • 25/10/1875, Thomas Robinson, Age: 35: Collier: Fall of stone died 9th Sept,1876.
  • 4/03/1876, John Owens, Age: 32: Tipper: Crushed by railway truck.
  • 15/08/1876, William Hanlow, Age: 55: Timberman: Fall of roof.
  • 15/08/1876, Isaac Hughes, Age: 52: Collier: Fall of stone in Ash Tree Colliery.
  • 4/09/1876, James Davis Age: 14: Collier: Fall of coal died next day.
  • 8/11/1876, Richard Evans, Collier: Fall of stone.
  • 15/12/1876, John Evans, Age: 43: Tender: Injured by trams died 5th Jan 1877.
  • 27/12/1876, William James, Age: 54: Collier: Fall of stone died next day.
  • 10/03/1877, John Edwards, Age: 56: Collier: No.8: Fall of roof.
  • 18/10/1877, A. Griffiths, Age: 22: Haulier: Injured from a kick from a horse. Died 24th Oct.
  • 4/01/1882, W.G. Watkins, Age: 16: Collier: No.7: Fall of clod which deceased and his father were about to pull down.
  • 10/02/1887, William Thomas, Age: 50: Pumpsman: Tredegar No.7: He was walking down a surface incline between the Mountain and the Globe Pits and got run over by the full journey.
  • 9/11/1887, James Williams, Age: 15: Collier boy: Tredegar No.7: Fall of overhanging roof at the face in consequence of not being spragged or propped.

 

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

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