The list below attempts to show a complete list of levels and collieries opened within the rhondda. This tower is a ventilation shaft and is part of the graig fawr colliery tunnel system. Cinefilm taken in 1973 of the locos that worked in the pits around south wales featuring. Another photo of his skill, showing miniature safety coupling from rope to cage. Clydach is a large village and community in the city and county of swansea, wales, falling within clydach ward and the llangyfelach parish.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The views today are of wooded mountains, with a number of former colliery waste tips still extant and ruins of colliery buildings high on the mountainside opposite, but it is still part of the local communities. Treherbert in october 1851, at the top of the rhondda fawr in what would become bute merthyr colliery the trustees sank the 44 which would export the coal. The graigola seam produced high quality coal which had a very low percentage of ash. Information, photographs and plans for graig merthyr colliery coal mine on the mine exploration web site uk. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Pontygwaith st 0808 9757 the site of pontygwaith ironworks, dating from the 1580s and subject of. Graigola merthyr company limited v the swansea corporation. Colliery photos john cornwell was a freelance photographer who took many photographs of collieries, mostly in south wales and the english midlands, both underground and on the surface, during the 1970s and early 1980s. The buiding contains two electric motors supplied by bruce peebles and company limited of edinburgh.
M clerical section collins, woods and vaughan jones, solicitors swansea, records. Banners of the durham coalfield, norman emery, 1998, sutton publishing ltd. The historic landscape area of abercanaid and llwynyreos is an important largely intact 1850s ironworks and colliery settlement. All mine exploration and mining history photographs of graig merthyr colliery coal mine on the mine exploration web site uk. Vol 1 having lived in pontypridd for a number of years i was aware of the collieries in that area. By the 1820s, merthyr was the source of 40% of britains iron exports. Disability and welfare disability in the industrial revolution.
Our 2019 gala falls exactly on the 41st anniversary of the end of steam at graig merthyr colliery. The area was initially developed during the 1830s and 40s following the sinking of the graig and gethin pits, and associated with an upsurge in production at the plymouth iron works. The sinking of the colliery took over six years to complete and when the first coal was brought up there. The waun wilt colliery was opened as a level mine in 1824 and was later renamed the abercanaid colliery. Pontypridd commonty haed a population o 29,781 accordin tae census figurs gathered in 2001. Woodhorn colliery, ashington 1016976 historic england. Rhondda heritage park exists on the site of the former lewis merthyr colliery as a testament to the coal mining history of the rhondda valleys, which until the end of the 20th century was one of the most important coal mining areas in the world in an area only 16 miles 26 km long, rhondda alone had over 53 working collieries at one time. A vector image of a star to represent action to save this item. Pontypridd to abercanaid, the industrial archaeology and. It can hold back the equivalent of nearly 70 olympicsize swimming. Rhondda project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. The glamorgan family history society have produced a set of microfiche containing monumental inscriptions for the following burial grounds parish church of st.
Letter book, 184749, case of william craig, 15 may 1849 miner given meat. Graig merthyr colliery coal mine information and photos. Gethin colliery was located close to the canal and was sunk in 1849. Colliery cost book for torcefn, brynteg, crynant, seven sisters, rhyding, gellia. Graig fawr cliff behind cwmparc village in the rhondda valley, south wales. List of collieries in the rhondda valleys wikipedia. Graig merthyr colliery coal mine information and photos aditnow. South of the station were the goods yard and sidings which served the various industries in the area, including hirwaun ironworks, tower colliery, two brickworks, and penderyn quarry tramway.
His funeral was was one of the largest ever seen at pontardulais. A single mum has transformed this former colliery building into a home and its stunning. In 1914, the deeper and slightly thicker five feet seam was also developed. Our 2019 gala falls exactly on the 41st anniversary of. Graig merthyr memorial unveiling pontardulais town band. Graig merthyr colliery yard in 1977 with a long journey of. I feel that when the undermentioned points are specifically mentioned in connection with the application, your council will appreciate the importance of this overhead line diversion to merthyr vale colliery. Childs, dowlais worlds largest ironworks, merthyr tydfil 1840. The history and industrial archaeology of pontypridd to abercycnon. A vector image of star to represent action to save this item login to save this item. Graig merthyr colliery, line of drams in the graigola seam note the unsupported sandstone roof, c. Cwm dulais is a scenic valley just to the north west of pontarddulais. Merthyr tydfil the past cwm colliery and aberdaremerthyr. The colliery photographs of john cornwell national museum wales.
Images of pant cemetery, near merthyr tydfil, by brian wagstaffe. Merthyr tydfil the past cwm colliery and aberdaremerthyr tunnel. Graig merthyr colliery, line of drams in the graigola seam. Marine colliery, graig fawr local history of south wales. My father osborn browning became foreman blacksmith and this photo shows him with striker ken heggie. Its entrance in the neighbouring ebbw valley between newbridge and crumlin. This book enhanced my knowledge of the pits where my greatgrandfather, my grandfather and uncle worked from the 1890s through to their closures in the 1960s. A vector image of star to represent action to save this item mewngofnodi i gadwr eitem hon. Treherbert the bute merthyr colliery opened here in 1855. With the beeching axe in 1963, the lines south to neath and north to merthyr and the former aberdare railway were all closed. The king, however, had expressed a wish to see the social conditions of the area and sir william thomas lewis see previous posts arranged a tour. Clydach merthyr colliery was situated near clydach in the swansea valley. Graig merthyr colliery was sited near pontardulais in the amman valley.
This sits on a hillside site at godrer graig overlooking the former tareni colliery. Royal mail nd class within the uk unless specifically descried, however, most item have st class option when go though checkout. Book ended by the twin commemorative stones built to mark the rebecca riots. My grandfather history wales is a country with a rich tradition of song and rugby, a welcoming and open country where they keep the proverbial and cliched welcome in the hillside for all whom enter gods country.
The story of a coal community wos produced by a history. Though not exhaustive, the stories offer a brief introduction to some fascinating stories about the locality. In 1958 the lewis merthyr colliery, a mile or two northwest of the former great western collieries amalgamated with the great. When the coal industry was nationalised in 1947, there were 250 collieries in wales. Great western colliery great western mine also known as hetty pit was a coal mine at hopkinstown near pontypridd glamorgan in south wales. The story of coal rhondda cynon taf county borough council. Great western mine, also known as hetty pit, was a coal mine, at hopkinstown, near pontypridd, glamorgan in south wales. They thought i was mad to restore colliery building. Situated in the cwmdulais valley, three miles from pontardulais, birchrock colliery first appeared in the listings in 1871, but by december 1867 mr. Round, brass embossed colliery lamp check or token from ncb graig merthyr colliery, near pontardulais in the amman valley, south wales.
Merthyr colliery lamp checks for sale in uk view 17 ads. Within the area around the buildings of the colliery was a complex system of narrow gauge railways which carried the mined coal away from the pithead structures. Merthyr tydfil main glamorgangwent archaeological trust. Thomas hiers chronologial list of events in merthyr tydfils history page.
Rhymney merthyr colliery closed during depression reopened 1938. On sunday october 29 1905, a huge fire of unknown origin set off several explosions in the stanford merthyr colliery. A trial pit was dug in 1851, and the colliery was closed in 1926. After buying the winding house, which came with five acres of land, mrs frame discovered that her greatgrandfather had worked there. South wales coalfield northern mine research society. The toun lees alangside the dual carriagewey northsooth a470, atween cairdiff an merthyr tydfil. Check the companys details for free and view the companies house information, company documents and list of directors. A carbide lamp, no longer used as a functional object, sits on my book. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Merthyr vale was a coal mining community which sprung up in the 1870s around the colliery sunk by john nixon between 1869 and 1875, which was originally called the taff colliery. At abercanaid, i came across the remains of the graig chapel burial ground the east side of graig road, the whole section north of anthony. Walk down to upper mill, an old part of pontarddulais. The bute merthyr colliery, in treherbert in the rhondda valley, was the first colliery to produce steam coal in the rhondda valley. The south wales valleys are honeycombed with shafts and tunnels.
In april 1916 mr richard owen williams met with an instantaneous death caused by a fall at graig merthyr colliery. Taff merthyr colliery alan georges old merthyr tydfil. Barry yoxall, the num secretary for taff merthyr is at the front with the tie. Apr 10, 2015 a walk up to cwm colliery and then down path to abernant tunnel. Edward j burrow wilkins, c, 1908, history of merthyr tydfil cardiff wilkins, g, 1867, history of merthyr tydfil williams, dh, 1990, atlas of cistercian lands in wales university of wales press, cardiff. Learn how to make garden structures from willow and about the many sustainable uses of willow. The bute merthyr began producing coal in 1855, the first working steam coal colliery in the rhondda.
Welsh is the first language of 24 per cent of the population and both welsh and english language schools are available. Guided by the excellent glamorganshire and aberdare canals book, i headed north to merthyr and traced the canal route south from chapel row. As you are aware, the board intends reorganising the tipping facilities at merthyr vale colliery. Rhondda heritage park, trehafod, rhondda, south wales is a tourist attraction which offers an. The mine was opened as gyfeillon pit in august 1851 by john calvert an engineer from yorkshire who had already sunk the newbridge colliery later to become part of the maritime collieries near graig pontypridd. Woodhorn colliery was sunk in 1894 by the ashington coal company. Graig merthyr memorial unveiling october 11, 2017 april 12, 2018 admin engagements a busy saturday saw the band put preparations for the wwbba burry port contest on hold, to take part in the unveiling of a permanent memorial, in pontardulais, to those who lost their lives at the graig merthyr colliery. Just south of the village of cwm between aberbeeg and ebbw vale, a brick tower can be seen on the hillside above a stream emanating from a mountainside tunnel. Memories of graig merthyr colliery has 789 members. Merthyr tydfil sources glamorgangwent archaeological trust. Two shafts were sunk here between 1922 and 1924, to a depth of 630 yards. Graig merthyr colliery yard in 1977 with a long journey of drams waiting to be run into the mine. Situated on the lower slopes of mynydd graig the waynes merthyr coal co. The rhondda heritage park museum is based in a former coal mine, the lewis merthyr colliery, in mid glamorgan in south wales.
In 1849, marquess of bute bought the cwmsaerbren farm from william davies for. At one time the valley floor was home to the extensive graig merthyr colliery, which closed in 1978, and of which little remains. Barry yoxall, the num secretary for taff merthyr is at the front with the tie and purple jacket. Summer gala 2223 june 2019 join us for the 2019 gwili railway annual summer gala, were shifting our attention back 41 years to graig merthyr colliery who were still running steam in 1978 which has a special connection with our own rsh no. The drift mine stopped producing coal in the early 1960s but was kept open until 1978 to provide ventilation and pumping for the graig merthyr colliery to the west. Writing to the times in the aftermath of the gethin colliery explosion of 1865, dr w. Colliery states the name the colliery or level was known as when it first opened. I have included further stories from my book about the history of the rhondda.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. On the 27 june they travelled on the royal train, first visiting the lewis merthyr colliery at trehafod, then on to the mines rescue station at dinas. Amalgamated anthracite company continued to operate the colliery until nationalization in 1947. There are plenty of footpaths leading to moorland peaks with wide open views across the gower, the. Brynlliw colliery was originally sunk between 1903 1908 by thomas williams llangennech ltd. Industry industrial pit village rhondda valley life lifestyle history. The first pits were sunk during 1873 and is recorded to have been worked by the graigola colliery company by 19. Tareni colliery is the history of 100 years of coalmining in the mountains of mynydd marchywel in the parish of cilybebill and the nearby village of rhos, and in mynydd alltygrug at godrer graig with which the colliery was closely associated, both physically by road access and in.
He published a number of books on welsh and english collieries. But the depth of the colliery meant that eventually the cost of keeping the roadways open underground took their toll and by the 1960s the colliery was employing more men to maintain the colliery than colliers themselves and as a result and the colliery finally closed in 1968. The public of new south wales has been again intensely moved by the awful news of a fatal mining explosion and fire. A level is seen as a horizontal cut into a hill or mountain to access a seam of coal, while a colliery consists of shafts mined into the earth to reach seams of coal underground. Check the companys details for free and view the companies.
Naval steam colliery, peny graig, glamorganshire 101 10 march 1880 bedwellty pits, tredegar 6 21 october 1877 blantyre, lanarkshire 207 11 april 1877 tynewydd colliery, glamorgan 4 tynewydd 1877 18 december 1876 cwmtillery colliery south wales colliery, monmouthshire 23 16 december 1875 swaithe main colliery, yorkshire 143. Dowlais coal arch the heritage and culture of merthyr tydfil. If a site was expanded from a level to a colliery, or significant additional shafts were added, the column formerly draws attention to the original site name. When dad worked at bestwood workshops he often used to go with the van to tredegar, not sure if a workshops or pit or both were there. Rhondda heritage park exists on the site of the former lewis merthyr colliery as a testament to the coal mining history of the rhondda valleys, which until the end of the. In 1917 the owners changed their name to the graigola merthyr co. Ferndale pits blaenllechau colliery, tylorstown, rhondda cynon taf, wales, uk mineral andor locality is an outreach project of the hudson institute of mineralogy, a 501c3 notforprofit organization.
For the 2019 gala therefore, were shifting our attention back 41 years to graig merthyr colliery who were still running steam in 1978 which has a special connection with our own rsh no. Graig merthyr colliery, line of drams in the graigola seam note the. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. It was sunk to work dry steam coals from the swansea four feet seam, at a depth of around 340 yards. Taff merthyr colliery demolition photograph courtesy of robert amos taff merthyr locomotive taff merthyr south wales miners march past taff merthyr during the closure of taff merthyr. The first pits were sunk during 1873 and is recorded to have. All photographs of graig merthyr colliery coal mine. Millerite from britannic merthyr colliery, gilfach coch. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.
The mine was opened in 1863 by the graigola merthyr company, a member of the monmouthshire and south wales coal owners association. Abercannaid is a small village in the welsh county borough of merthyr tydfil, glamorgan, wales, united kingdom with a population of about 5,060. It was an area which produced iron rather than things made of iron. Most of the housing estate was built in 1860 to sustain the collieries. A single mum has transformed this former colliery building. Information, history photographs current and archive and documents for graig merthyr colliery coal mine. Merthyr vale colliery nixons navigation st illtyds page.