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Bedwas Colliery, Trethomas.
.In 1909 the original Bedwas Colliery Company leased 1,475 acres of land, just outside the Gwent village of Trethomas. Two shafts were sunk through the Mynyddislwyn seam, down to the Rhas Las (or Black Vein) and thence, by a cross-measure, to the lowest coal seam then known in the Caerphilly area, the Hard Vein (known later as the Lower Black Vein. The two shafts (North and South) were 768 and 802 yards deep respectively, both with a diameter of 21 ft. Bedwas was one of the first collieries in South Wales to employ double-deck winding.
The first coal was produced in early 1912 and it soon became obvious that the Bedwas Navigation was to be a significant supplier of top quality steam coals.
An underground explosion occurred here on the 27th of March 1912. Twelve men were badly injured, three of whom later died. The cause of the blast was attributed to a spark from a signalling system.
In 1918 there were 1,263 men employed.
From a list 1923 the pit employed 2,578 and it was producing half a million tons annually from the Black Vein, Lower Black Vein and Rock Vein seams. By the outbreak of the Second World War production had reached 675,000 tons, which was its best ever figure, at this time the manpower totalled 1,850.
By 1945 this total had reduced to 1,823.
On October 10th, 1952, one miner was killed and 19 others injured through an explosion.
The relighting of a Safety Lamp caused the explosion of firedamp.
In the late 1950's the National Coal Board approved a major £4 million reorganisation at the colliery, which electrified the winding: provided a new pit bottom area and underground loco roadway also a new coal preparation plant was built on the surface.
During the mid 1970's 653 men were producing 230,000 tons of coal yearly from the Black vein and Meadow vein seams.
Bedwas never reopened after the miners' strike of 1984/5 and it was officially closed in August 1985.