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Griffin Nos.2 and 3 pits, Blaina, c. 1905.
Griffin No.1 (North pit) was sunk sometime prior to 1873 by the Nantyglo & Blaina Co.
It was taken over in1878 by J. Lancaster & Co. In 1882 they added Griffin pits Nos.2 and 3, known as South Griffin. No.3 didn't start production until 1891. South Griffin was situated about one and a quarter miles south of No.1 at Bournville
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896:-
Griffin No 1 men employed = 415 working the Three Quarters, Big
and Elled.
Griffin No 2 men employed = 816 working the Three Quarters, Big
and Elled.
Griffin No 3 men employed = 868 working the Old Coal seam.
At its peak around 1903 these three pits employed a total of 3,407 men.
No.1 pit (North Griffin) closed around 1909.
In 1918 Griffin Nos.2 and 3 had a workforce of 1,781 men.
Coal production ceased at South Griffin in 1921.
It was connected underground to the Rose Heyworth Colliery and
maintained for ventilation and pumping until sometime in the
1950's.
Scenes from the film "Whither Mankind" based on H G Wells novel "The Shape of Things to come" were shot here in 1935.
Map Ref. North Griffin or Griffin No. 1 was at SO 197085 and South Griffin Pits (Nos 2 & 3) were at SO 200065.