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Brynlliw Colliery, Grovesend, Nr. Swansea.
Thomas Williams and Sons began sinking this colliery in 1903, production started in 1905.
Shaft one was down cast, men and supplies. shaft two coal skip winding and up cast.
It worked the Swansea Four Feet seam at 340 yards and in 1914 the underlying Five Feet seam was developed.
In 1918 there were 135 men employed.
From a list 1923, there were 182 men employed, working the Five Feet seam.
Due to the depression in the coal trade it ceased production in 1925 and it was abandoned in 1927, although the shafts and headgear were retained.
A major reopening scheme was embarked on 10th of November 1954, under the National Coal Board, including repairing and the deepening of the shafts by 35 yards, erecting new headgear with skip winding in the upcast shaft and driving thousands of yards of roadway for locomotive haulage. The official opening ceremony was held on the12th of February 1960.This scheme cost of £4.8 million and the colliery went into production, working the Six Feet seam by mechanised room and pillar methods and by 1968 was showing an annual output of over 300,000 tons.
During the mid 1970's a workforce of 570 men were producing nearly 200,000 tons of Anthracite yearly from the Swansea Six feet and Three feet seams.
In 1976 a 295 yard roadway was driven under the Estuary to link up with Morlais Colliery, which operated on the opposite side. On the 26th of June 1977 the two collieries then formed a single unit, with all the coal brought to the surface via the Brynlliw shafts, the Morlais shaft was used for men and material only.
The Morlais secion closed on the 8th of May 1981.
Brynlliw ceased production on the 27th of July 1983 and was abandoned two months later.
Grovesend Pit..
Situated about a half a mile west of Brynlliw Colliery, this pit was sunk around 1870. It produced Manufacturing and Steam coal from the Grovesend upper and lower seams.
In 1908 there were 258 men employed including 33 on the surface. At this time the owners were Thomas Williams and Sons Ltd.
The workforce totalled 245 and 181 in 1918 and 1923 respectively.
Due to the depression in the coal trade it ceased production in 1925 and it was abandoned in 1927 and never reopened.
More information from Ray Lawrence.
Also called Ty Dderwin, this pit produced both steam and manufacturing coals, and was served by the London and North Western Railway. This colliery was flanked by Brynlliw Colliery to the north, Caeduke Colliery to the south-west, Mountain Colliery to the south and the Garngoch's to the east and south. It was sunk in 1870 by the Grovesend Colliery Company and managed in 1878 by Harry Edmund. 1899 to 1902 period it was listed as re-opening.
It was owned in 1910 by Thomas Williams and Sons (Llangennech)
Limited who employed 258 men at this colliery in 1913 when the
manager was J. Beynon. In 1916 it employed 204 men and in 1918 it
employed 245 men underground and 35 men on the surface, the
manager was still Mr. Beynon. It employed 181 men in 1923.
It abandoned the Upper Grovesend seam prior to 1882, while the
Grovesend or Ty Dderwen No.2 abandoned the Upper Grovesend seam
in December 1900. The Grovesend, Brynlliw, Pentwyn abandoned the
Lower Grovesend seam in June 1925.In 1930/4 it is listed as
temporarily closed, but I doubt if it ever re-opened.
Some manpower: 1899: 40 1901: 43 1902: 5 1903: 41 1907: 393 1909: 258. 1910: 186 1911: 220. 1912: 179 1913: 258 1916: 204 1918: 245 1920: 204 1922: 255. 1923: 181 1924: 109 1925: 166
More from Tony Cooke.
Grovesend Colliery was listed in Hunt's Mineral Statistics
only from 1871. However, it is clear that it was in existence for
some twenty years prior to that date, so why it failed to appear
in Hunt's is odd, but not that unusual. Perhaps for much of the
time it was not working. From papers at the National Archive it
was stated that ‘Grovesend Upcast and Downcast sunk 1851.'
In 1861 the Cambrian reported ‘Proposed new branch railway
line to colliery in occupation of J. Williams' and later in the
same year the same paper included ‘Notice to creditors re.
Jenkin Williams, of Grovesend, coal owner.' There was a fatal
accident at Grovesend Colliery on 17th of February1862 when
Jenkins Williams was given as the owner. In July 1862 an advert
gave ‘Grovesend Colliery, in occupation of J. Lewis
Roberts, for sale or lease' and it was advertised ‘For sale
by auction on 29the of September1862.' In Webster's Trade
Directory of 1865 Roberts, T. L., was listed trading as the
Pengwildarwn Colliery Co. and the colliery was listed as
Pengwildarwn Colliery. The Harrod's 1866 directory gives Roberts,
T. L. at Grovesend Colliery, and on 27.3.1868 it was reported
that ‘Grovesend Colliery at a stand due to a dispute.'
The listing from 1871, may result from a reopening, as in April
1872 it was reported ‘The Grove-end (sic) Colliery, which
was flooded a short time ago, is getting into condition and it is
expected that coal will be turned out in a few days.' That was
under David Lloyd & Sons trading as the Grovesend Colliery
Co. In 1873 the listing gives Miller & Co. and on 6.6.1873
Grovesend Steam Coal Colliery Co. Ltd. was registered. This did
not last long for, following various petitions, the Court ordered
the company to be Wound Up on 26.10.1875. Whilst the colliery
remained listed for 1876-78, it is likely that it was idle, for
it was advertised ‘For sale by auction on 20the of
October1879, plant and material at Grovesend Colliery.'
Abandonment followed, no later than April 1882.
The next phase is unclear, for the Lists show for 1898-99
Tyrdderwen Colliery Co. operating at Tyrdderwen Colliery. This
was abandoned on 21.12.1900. Whether this was an entirely new
mine or a reworking of all or part of Grovesend has not been
established. Given that Grovesend was also referred to as
Tydderwen (but never listed as such) points to the possibility
that it was Grovesend that they were working.
Following on from the above Thomas Williams and Sons were listed
at Grovesend from 1900 to 1925 and shown for 1900-01 as
‘reopening and sinking' However the workforce for 1902 was
down from 43 in 1901 to only 5, so work seems to have come to a
standstill. In 1903 it was back up to 41 and on 25the of
March1904 it was reported that ‘Sinking operations were
commenced last week. It is expected that the other shaft will be
started shortly.' The reference to ‘sinking' presumably
refers to sinking deeper. Further reports stated that ‘Coal
has been found at new Grovesend Colliery, Pengellybrain, of Thos
Williams & Sons.'- ICTR 26th of May1905, and that ‘The
water difficulty having been overcome, the Grovesend Pit at
Gorseinon, will shortly be restarted.'- ICTR 9th of February1906.
By 1907 it was employing 393 men and on 20th of July1910 Thos.
Williams& Sons (Llangennech) Ltd. was registered. They
continued operating the site until 1925, although work, which had
been in decline from 1921, tailed off rapidly from 1923 when the
labour force totalled 181. In 1924 it was 109 and in 1925 only
34. The mine was abandoned for good on 1st of June1925 having
worked the Upper, Middle and Lower Grovesend and the Four Feet
seams. By 1947 the situation was given as, Pit 66 yards deep, 11
ft 6 diameter, with an air shaft connection to upcast at Brynlliw
and water outlet at Pentrepriscedwyn farm, half a mile north of
Grovesend.
The two pits were some half mile apart with No. 1 at SN 592010
and No. 2 at SN 591019, although how long No. 2 was in use I am
unable to say.