The alphabetical list we have provided is by no means comprehensive as there were numerous individual drift mines worked locally, sometimes by a single individual or a small number of men. Often, these were worked under licence from landowners and following nationalisation after the Second World War, coal was mined under licence from the National Coal Board.
We are by no means experts in this area, and we have relied on several sources that have tried to reproduce faithfully here. We acknowledge and thank them all in producing such a wealth of information that we have been able to access. Any errors are ours alone.
Scope of the List
You will find an alphabetical list of collieries and mines worked in the Pelenna and Afan Valleys. We have only sought to show the vast number of mines, pits and levels that were worked by our ancestors, relatives or neighbours over the past 200 years or so. However, coal mining appears to have started several hundred years earlier in the wider Neath Port Tabot area, overseen by the monks in Margam & Neath Abbeys.
Early Mining Activity
Mynydd Bychan and Oakwood Ironworks
In this locality, the earliest mines (for coal and ironstone) appeared at Mynydd Bychan, likely during the late 18th or early 19th century. These appear to have expanded rapidly in the 1820’s to 1830’s to meet the demand for coal when the Oakwood Ironworks was built. This led John Reynolds to build the aqueduct (1823 -27) to carry water to the ironworks which was said to have been the largest waterwheel in the UK. This endeavour bankrupted him (see newspaper report).
Working Conditions and Fatalities
Miners of that time comprised largely of men and boys who worked in what we would consider as horrendous conditions, for very little pay, often working piece meal and in incredibly dangerous surroundings.
We have not made a comprehensive list of all fatalities and have only printed out examples of how accidents and fatalities were reported at that time.
Impact on Families
Many families were often left destitute when the breadwinner, usually a father and husband succumbed to working in what we would call today as an unsafe working environment.
Very rarely, would a coalmine owner be found accountable for negligence. We have only found one solitary newspaper report of this. Individual fatalities were not collected on a national basis unless more than 3 men perished in a given incident.
Lack of Social Support
The formation of the Welfare State had not yet happened and there was no government led safety net to support families in these situations. Many women and children would seek support from the Poor House, Workhouse or the Board of Guardians.
Economic Hardship Post-WWI
According to the 1921 Census, over 90% of men and boys in Pontrhydyfen, Efail Fach, Oakwood, and Tonmawr were ‘out of work’, largely due to strikes or lockouts following the decision by Prime Minister David Lloyd George to return the mines to private ownership post-World War I. The ensuing strike persisted for several months, after which workers returned under reduced pay and extended hours.
Photos of our industrial past
Danydont river bridge repair 1980s GT 2
Evans and Bevans Tce Goody colliery to rear GT 2
Oakwood Row looking toward Foel with drift mines and spoil heaps in background AM
Oakwood Row, Foel and spoil heaps
Old mill with Cerrigllwydon and Bevans Tce 1930s AM
Oakwood colliery and Rhyslin GT 2
Aberhondda Tonmawr
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1883 – 1921
Aber-rhondda Colliery Co Ltd
Situated in Tonmawr, the level was worked for house coal. Managed by Thomas Oakley
1922
13
Glyn Gwilym seam
1923
12
1927
Wenallt Seam abandoned
Argoed
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1890s
Llewellyn Howell & Co
50 underground (u) / 9 on the surface (s)
Slant, No.3. Rhondda seam (house coal)
1896
Manager: Watkin Morris
1909
Manager: Gwilym Lewis
1911
96 men
1913
85 men
By 1922
125 men
1923-7
Herbert Hudson Ltd, Port Talbot
250, which dropped to 134
Manager: G. Llewellyn. Fatalities: 1925 – W Thomas (60) 1926 – H Williams (57) 1927 – William Thomas (30)
1950
7 men
Other Levels mined: White Seam – No.2 Rhondda – Wernpistyll Rider
1953
NCB, licenced to Argoed Farm Cynonville
Cwmbach
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1926
DJ Heycock
Small level in Tonmawr
1927
Cwmbach Colliery Co
25
1929
WS Wardlow
7
1931
Abandoned
Cwm Evan Bach
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1937
Llwywyffynon Colliery Co Ltd of Cwmavon
9
Small mine
1938
12
Abandoned in April 1938 Levels mined: Wernddu rider No.2 Rhondda rider Wernpistyll Field vein
1942 -46
Some mining occurred during these years
Cynon
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1894
David Rees & Co. Port Talbot
Shaft & slant mine, producing house and manufacturing coal
1896
30 (u), 4 (s)
Fatalities : Richard Davies (46)
1902
143
Managed by David Rees
1908
Cynon Colliery Co.
373 (u), 44 (s)
Sited and sunk a shaft 20ft in diameter at Cynonville to the Rhondda No. 2 seam at a depth of 200yds. Managed by John Beamand
1910
500
Fatalities : David Evans (27)
1911
Fatalities: John David (24) – John Stone (45) – Thomas W Williams (21)
1913
Samuel Rees, Manager. Building of Cynonville Garden Village began, never finished due outbreak WW1. Fatalities: Homer Morgan (27)
1914
460 (u), 60 (s)
11 month strike Fatalities: Benjamin Evans (37)
1938
J Evans, Beverley St, Port Talbot
19 (u), 3(s)19 (u), 3(s)
Managed: T Redshaw Other Levels mined: Wernpistyll – Wernpistyll Rider
1947
31
1950
50
Closed mine but licenced out during 1950s & 60s
Duffryn Rhondda
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
By 1880
Duffryn Rhondda Coal Co.
Slant and 2 shafts
1908
439
Manufacturing coal
1910
1,500
1918
Imperial Navigation Coal Co. Ltd
1,191 (pit) 190 (slant)
1923
Powell Dyffryn Co. Ltd
300 (slant) 839 (No. 1 pit) 523 (No. 2 pit)
House coal (no. 2 Rhondda seam)
Steam coal produced from seams 6 ft, 2ft 6 & 7ft seams
1938
1,291 (combined)
Slant used only for pumping with 2 attendants
Coal produced from seams ranging from 2ft 6 & 9ft seams
1945
842 (combined)
1966/7
CLOSED
East End Levels
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1926
James Herbert
Wenallt seam
1928
East End Colliery Co, Sleeman & Farraday
6
Closed in 1929
Engine Pit
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1837
A small mine. Located on the southern side of the Foel Mountain. Very little is known about this pit, sunk to 300 feet, which was the first to use a steam winding engine of raising coal.
Garth No 4 Level
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1937 – 1940
Garth Collieries Ltd
11
Closed in 1940
Graig Baglan & Graig Baglan Isaf Pontrhydyfen
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1933 worked until 1937
Harrison & Pritchard
2
Men recorded as prospecting, but very little known
Situated on the Foel Mountain, opposite Morgans Tce. Men recorded as prospecting, but very little known
Situated on the Foel Mountain, opposite Morgans Tce. A small level
Graig Lyn near Cwmavon
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1911
Charles Owen & Bevan and Co
16
1913
21
1916
Graiglyn Colliery Co, Pontrhydyfen
23
1923
61 (u), 11 (s)
Managed by Idris James. Producing house coal from the Field, Wernddu and Wernpistyll Rider seams
1927
29
Managed by Gwilym Llewellyn
1929
29
Managed by DT Walters
Hafon
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1917
Hafon Colliery Co Ltd
A small level
Hillside – Pontrhydyfen
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1920
Oakwood Colliery Co
Small mine, located on Penhydd mountain, opposite the rugby playing field
1923
Hillside Colliery Co
13
1931
Jonathan Owen
Worked Wenallt rider, abandoned that year reopened another level
1933
Hillside Colliery Co
1937
10
1938
5
1940 -45
J & E Griffiths, Pontrhydyfen
10 (u), 1(s)
1947
Mine worked under licence
1957
NCB
19
1959
Hillside No.2 listed working both the Field & Wernddu seams
Abandoned
Mercantile – Tonmawr
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1893 – 1896
Powley, Thomas & Co, Cardiff
Small mine
1899
150
The No 1 was also called Fforchdwm, No 2 Nantybar
1900
170
1901
95
1903
Worked the Wenallt rider seam
Merthyr Llantwit Tonmawr
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1888
Llantwit Merthyr Colliery owned by John Evans
Son of a Skewen vicar, colliery went into production in 1889. Originally a level and shaft
1899
Reynolds Thomas
Name change
1900
94
Managed: Thomas Lloyd
1907
205
Managed: Edward Garside
1908
Merthyr Llntwit Colliery Co.
160 (u), 18 (s)
Managed: T Thomas
1918
83 (u), 18 (s)
Slant
1923
74 (u), 14 (s)
Producing manufacturing coal from Wenallt seam
1926
Closed
1928
Briefly reopened as Blaenavon, then Penlan
1930
Closed
Seams later reworked by Garth
Mynydd
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
Early 1920s
Oakwood Colliery Co Ltd
31
Located on Penrhys and part of Hillside & Oakwood Levels. This small level which worked the Jonah seam.
Abandoned in 1922
North End
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1911
Opened
1913
North end Colliery Co. Swansea
60
Agreement with John Beamand (Colliery proprietor) Pontrhydyfen made for a siding.
1918
66 (u), 12 (s)
Managed by JH Pugh
1920
Reformed as North End Ltd
1923
Producing 24,000 tons of coking, house & manufacturing coal from Wenallt Seam
Oakwood
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1840s
English Copper Co.
Numerous slants (63) and pits driven for coal & ironstone. No. 10 Ironstone was abandoned by 1851
1850s
Fatalities:1853: Richard Owen (27)
William Williams (14)
1854: David Morgan
John Griffiths (24)
1858: Evan Rees Jones
1860s
Governor & Co
Following 1862 other Levels were abandoned
Fatalities: 1865: Joseph Aubrey (23)
1868: Thomas Hawking (33)
John Morris (18)
1869: E Evans
1870s
Fatalities: 1870: J Jones (49)
1871: J Helper (15)
1880s
Cwmavon Estate & House Co.
Other levels mined:
Jonah Seam
Wernddu seam
Oakwood slant (Top).
Fatalities: 1880: David Stephens (43)
1882: William Tippott (14)
1884: James Lewis (74)
William Bevan (37)
Zacharias Richards(30)
1885: Robert Hickey (16)
1888: Jenkin Thomas (33)
1890s
Baldwins Ltd
Fatalities: 1896: John Davies (57)
1914
Fatalities: Samuel Bennett (55)
1920
Explosion 4 dead, injured
1923
Tymaen Colliery Co.
1926
Fatalities: George Mansel Jones (46)
Penhydd- Penhydd mountain
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1921 – 1924
Penhydd Colliery Co
5 – 15
Listed as developing, working the Field & Wernpistyll seams
1928
5
Abandoned working Field seam
1932
Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Ltd
1947
NCB
Licenced to Penhydd Colliery Co Ltd, Port Talbot
1950
18
1955 – 1957
30 (u), 5 (s)
Working the Clay seam
1960
Closed
1992
New Parc Fuels Ltd
In 1992 it was listed at Penhydd Newydd
Pennant – Cynonville
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1955 -7
NCB
A small level, licences given to
CL Jose of Cymer
1958 – 60
JW Jones &
TG Griffiths
1960-66
TG Williams who opened the No 2
Penrhys Graig
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1919-1925
Penrhys Colliery Co, Port Talbot
25
Small mine, managed by S Jones
Penstar – Maes y Bettws
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1905
Penstar Rhondda Colliery Co
25
Small level, worked the Penstar seam
1920s
Herbert Hudson Ltd
1922
200
Manager: Evan Powell
1923
33
1924
Graigyfedw seam abandoned
1927
110
Managed: T Walters, abandoned in 1927
Rhydavon – Pontrhydyfen
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1907
24
Situated on land behind and adjacent to Macpelah Chapel. Small level abandoned Graig seam in 1908
Tonmawr
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1839
Messers Parson & Strange
Small mine opened
1840
Despite a steam engine ordered from Neath Abbey Iron Works, the site was idle as the owners soon became bankrupt
1845
Mr Sturge
1860 -1870
Weymouth & Green
1865
Fatality: David Stephens(14)
1878
Closure
1900
A second Tonmawr Mine was listed in 1900, but failed to find a seam
Tor-y-Banwen – Tonmawr / Cymmer
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1918
Lewis & Davies
20
Small mine. A second mine called Tor Y Banwen or Glanravon could be found in Cymmer
1922
Tor y Banwen Collieries Co Ltd
117
1923
13
1924
26
1925
117
Tor-y-Mynydd – Pwllyglaw
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1860-1870
Margam Tin Plate Co.
Consisting of a series of levels, it produced both house and manufacturing coals. It was served by Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway
1878
D Jenkins & Son
Manager: W Richards
A new slant was developed on site
1910
145
1912
Tor y Mynydd Rhondda Colliery Co Ltd, Burrows Chamber, Swansea
231
1913
245
Manager: P Williams
1918
New Caepontben Colliery Co. Ltd, Cardiff
237 (u), 35 (s)
Working the Tor y Mynydd Slant
1921
Torymynydd Colliery Co
300
Jonah seam abandoned
1945
25 (u), 4 (s)
1947
Estimated reserves of 708,800 tons
1948
Licenced by Ivor Griffiths
51
Working: Torymynydd, Jonah, White seams
1950
Closed
Ty Maen
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1910 -1924
May actually refer to the company that went on to own Oakwood collieries
Welsh Freehold Mercantile / Garth Blaenmawr
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1864
Welsh Freehold
Mercantile
Blaenmawr
All occupied the same site in Tonmawr, ventilation stack can be still seen
1899
170
1901
Reopened as Blaenmawr Navigation, D Edwards & Sons
1913
2 slants
1918
50 (u), 8 (s)
Managed by WJ Jenkins
1920
Blaenmawr Colliery Co Ltd
81 (u), 12 (s)
Managed by DG Jones, produced manufacturing coal from Wenallt seam
1929
Went into administration
Mine was in the hands of the receiver
1932
Garth Collieries Co Ltd Swansea
Struck off the companies register by 1932
1935
150 (u), 45 (s)
Working Wenallt seam, Managed by G Lloyd
1942
One of the first collieries to have a canteen in the S Wales coalfield, catering for 200 miners
1945
205
Half employed at the coalface
1955
205
1964
Thomas James (39) was the last miner to be killed underground in Tonmawr following a roof fall in Feb 1964
NCB closed colliery in June of that year as coal reserves had been exhausted
Wernavon
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1903
Originally listed as Ynysavon Colliery Co
A single level
1908
21
1910
Skewen- Wernavon Colliery Co
20
Listed as owned 20 ‘local gentlemen’ most of whom were shareholders. A Francis Howell, shareholder was a fatality injured in April 1910, married with 6 children
One of the largest freeholder developments (10 square miles) in the area led by a German company based in Hamberg.
1906
Directors JCA Henderson (S African) & Col JR Wright resign
Poor preparatory work begins, no drilling of test holes had taken place
1907
65 – 172
1911
Men were employed during sinking, but during this time various technical difficulties arose
One shaft reached 500yds, the second 450 yds had passed through No 2 Rhondda seam.
Director Carlos Pedro de Freitas dies, sinking was suspended.
Pit was put up for sale without interest. Further technical issues arose.
Closed in 1911
1912 – 1913
New Rhondda Collieries & Baldwins Ltd
Site repeatedly bought, cleared of surface equipment. Percy Jacob managed the site until 1916
Ynys Afon / Ynys Aafon
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
Small level
Ynys Dafydd (also called No. 43 Pit) Pwll y glaw
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
Before 1844
Governor & Co, part of Oakwood colliery
Small pit, named after Ynys Dafydd Farm. Some claim that it was the first pit sunk in the area
1844
Deepened to 231 feet
1856
Explosion resulted 13 following fatalities –
Jason Evans (21)
John George (13)
Henry Griffiths (35)
Hopkin Hill (50)
David King (25)
John Lewis (30)
David Morgan (19)
Walter Morgan (26)
? Thomas (45)
David Thomas (16)
David Williams (19)
Hopkin Williams (27)
1872
Abandoned
Ynysfawr – Pontrhydyfen
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1900
Ynys Fawr Colliery Co
18
Small level, probably worked Rhondda No 2 seam
1901
13
1903
Closed abandoning Penrhys seam
Ynyslas – Pwll y glaw
Year
Company/Owners
Number Employed
Details
1919d
Ynys Las Colliery Co Ltd
45
Small level, managed W Rees
Worked Five-Feet seam & ironstone
1920
74
1923
36 (u), 9 (s)
1925
7
1926
Abandoned working Four-feet seam
Abandoned working Little Vein Seam
Sources and References
A glossary of terms has been provided to clarify the classification of mines, pits, levels, and drifts. In closing, we would like to formally acknowledge the sources that contributed to the information used:
