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Cynheidre Colliery, Five Roads, Nr. Llanelli, 1989.
Sunk just two miles south of Pentremawr colliery in 1954/56. Shafts Nos.1 and 2 (upcast) were 798 and 786 yards deep respectively.
These shafts gave access to the rich reserves of deep lying Anthracite seams, which couldn't be worked economically by the more traditional method of slants.
During 1963 is was integrated with Pentremawr colliery.
On 6th of April, 1971 six miners lost their lives in the worst outburst of
methane gas and fine coal dust to take place in the British isles.
They were;
Douglas Lyndon Davies
William Luther Davies
Henryk Itzi
Albert George Miller
Henry Garfield Roberts
Ieuan Gareth Watkins
69 others suffered reportable injuries.
During 1972 this unit produced 472,000 tons of Anthracite, with a workforce of 1,430 men from the Big Vein and Pumpquart seams.
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The picture shows Cynheidre's shafts three and four, shaft three (upcast) on the left.
These shafts were sunk 4 miles up the Gwendraeth Valley to the main shafts. The pit was connected on the surface by the Myndd Mawr railway line and underground at a number of locations.
Shaft three was originally sunk between 1939-1941 to assist ventilation at
the Glynhebog drift mine (sometimes incorrectly referred to as great mountain
no 3 shaft).
In 1955 shaft three was deepened to form part of the Cynheidre complex to a
depth of 760 yards with a diameter of 18 feet and had three insets in the shaft.
Shaft 4 was sunk in 1962 to a depth of 700 yards. The winding system of shaft
4 is interesting as it was a two rope surface mounted friction winder, one of
only two ever installed in the U.K and the only one in Wales.
Like the rest of Cynheidre closed in 1989.