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Abernant Colliery, 1987.
Situated about four miles north of Pontardawe, the sinking of this colliery began in 1954 and was completed at a cost of £10 million by the National Coal Board in 1958
Sunk to develop the Peacock anthracite seam, the shafts North (upcast) and South were 837 and 987 yards deep respectively, some of the deepest in the coalfield. During the sinking, two insets were driven , No.3 at a depth of 692 yards and No.4 at 792 yards.
The Peacock Vein was the first seam to be worked from No.4 horizon. Although the resulting pressure from this venture cause great damage to the roadways near the pit bottom.. 1962 saw the start of the development of the Red Vein and during 1963 work ceased in the lower seams and all production was concentrated in the Red Vein.
During the 1970's production averaged 300,000 tons annually from the Red vein seam, with a workforce of 900 men. By this time the colliery covered over 8 square miles with over 40 miles of roadways.
This collier was one of the first mines to employ the retreat mining method, whereby the roadways were driven to the limit of the coal reserves, the faces then worked towards the pit bottom.
Abernant closed in 1988.