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Graig Merthyr Colliery, Nr. Pontardulais.
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End of the shift, Graig Merthyr, c.1965
Situated in the
Cwmdulais Valley, three miles from Pontardulais, Birchrock
Colliery first appeared in the listings in 1871, but by December
1867 Mr. John Glasbrook had leased 800 acres and built a railway
to connect with the Llanelly & Swansea Extension Railway. An
accident occurred there in November 1869 when the owner was given
as the Birch Rock Colliery Co., so some activity was clearly
taking place and in late 1870 the local Board of Health was
discussing the effect of mining by the Birchrock Company, on the
Blaennant Ddu reservoir [this became a serious matter some years
later] and mentioned Mr. Glasbrook's Pal Bach Level. In 1871, an
advert. stated ‘To let: Graigola vein of steam coal, 700
acres. Adjoins Graigola Colliery. No less than eight collieries
now in full work on adjoining estates. The pits are sunk to half
their depth, engines and machinery erected. Apply Mr. John
Glasbrook. By 1876 a company by the name of ‘Compagnie
Houillere de Graigola Merthyr' was some how involved, as they
placed repeated wagon orders with the Gloucester Wagon Co., but
in what role is unknown, the mine being listed under the Birch
Rock Coal Co.
It was not listed in 1881 and was abandoned in 1882. In 1885 the
Graigola Merthyr Co. Ltd. was registered to take over business of
Cory, Yeo & Co. and of Compagnie Houillere de Graigola
Merthyr' and the mine reappeared in the lists again from 1886. At
1891, Birchrock Level was listed with an Upcast, 80 feet deep.
From 6.1892 the mine was standing, but work was resumed in 1894.
(It was shown as closed on Campion's Coalfield map c1894/95)
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, there were 88 men employed, producing Manufacturing Coal.
From 1903 the mine was no longer listed as ‘Birch Rock' but as ‘Birch Rock or Graig Merthyr' and the following year listed only as ‘Graig Merthyr' (a.k.a. Graigola Merthyr) and so it remained, still owned by Graigola Merthyr Co. Ltd. until nationalised.
In October 1909, two separate
accidents caused the death of 6 miners. The first catastrophe
occurred on Friday the 1st of October when a pocket of gas
exploded just as the night shift was about to leave the pit
killing 4 men.
They were :- Samuel Jones, Edward Mainwaring, David Rees and
Arthur Shroder.
The second accident occurred around midday on the Thursday the 21st when two men were at work repairing and widening a parting. They had drilled some holes in readiness for charging and detonating by the fireman and were resting when they were joined by Thomas Rees who sat with them. Suddenly a huge stone fell from the side of the heading Killing Rees and trapping and badly injuring two brothers William and Thomas Richards. Their cries brought Griffith Jeffreys aged 33 and Edward George to their aid, another stone then fell killing Jeffreys.
What is far from clear is how this
very large enterprise developed over the years, as latterly there
were numerous sites involved. Details that I have include the
following:-
SN 624042 (Birchrock or Graig Merthyr)
SN 622051 & 624049 (Twyn Tyle Slant )
SN 634054 (Birchrock Upper Level)
SN 640060 (Graig Merthyr North Slant)
SN 647063 (Graig Merthyr East Main Slants)
SN 654052 (Graig Merthyr East Main Return)
SN 652066 & 654063 (Lliw Slants)
I would be very pleased to hear of anyone with abandonment plans,
which may show various dates against each of these openings.
From 1886 to 1958 the mine was listed as working just the
Graigola seam.
From 1959 to 1965 the Graigola, Six Feet and Three Feet seams
were listed, with the Swansea Six Feet (Lower bed) seam abandoned
16th of May 1964 and the Swansea Six Feet (Upper bed) seam
abandoned 19th of February 1965.
Between 1966 and 1977 the Six Feet and Three Feet seams were
listed, with the Swansea Six Feet & Swansea Three Feet (or
Graigola) seams abandoned 31st of March 1972, Swansea Six Feet
seam abandoned 21st of December 1977 and the Swansea Three Feet
seam abandoned 23rd of June 1978.
In 1920, which seems to be the peak year, a total of 1,177 men
were employed, although this total included Cefn Drim as
well.
It was closed on 23rd of June 1978
and the majority of the workforce was
transferred to provide manpower for the newly opened Bettws
mine.
Much of this research by Tony Cooke
Talyfan Colliery, Pontardulais.
The history of the Talyfan mines is
far from clear as is illustrated by the following. TALY-FAN-FACH
was apparently the only one located on the west side of the
railway line and whilst shown on the 1876 O.S. map at 593052, it
was never listed in the Hunts or the HMIM List of Mines, and
appears to have been closed by 1878. It is shown as disused on
the 1906, 1918 and 1938 maps.
On the east side of the railway were located a number of sites
that went under a confusing number of names. In 1904 sinking
operations (so a pit?) were started for GLYNHIR Colliery and
whilst coal was struck in early 1905, it never appeared in the
LoM and seems to have been abandoned. In 1921 TALYFAN Slant was
driven on the Five Feet seam (workings in 1921-22 give the
Graigola seam, in 1923 the Six Feet and in 1924-26 the Fiery). It
appears to have been renamed CAE Colliery in 1927 and was
abandoned in 11.1929. Next, in 1933, GLYNHIR was started on the
Graigola seams. The Three Feet or Lower Graigola seam was
abandoned in 1934 and work concentrated on the Upper Graigola
seam, but the mine closed in 3.1934, with the plan stating
‘GLYNHIR formerly CAE or TALYFAN. In 1938 another TALYFAN
was started, working only clay in the Fiery seam, only to be
abandoned the following year. In 1953 another GLYNHIR existed,
but that only lasted twelve months as well and was abandoned in
1954.
Now whether each of the above was a separate opening or whether
some were reopenings of earlier sites, I don't know. All I have
is that there were two slants at 596050. The seam names quoted
above were from official listings and whether some of them were
renamings, again I can not comment, but perhaps others will be
able to clarify.