A Welsh Coal Mines web page

image of subject

A group photograph at the Henwaen Pit, Blaina, 1882.

Sunk around 1857 to a depth of 165 yards by J. & C. Bailey.

Later it was owned by Nantyglo and Blaina Co Limited.

John Lancaster and Co. became the new owners in 1881.

On the 3rd of March 1882, five men were killed in a localised explosion. It was reported that their bodies had been blown a considerable distance.

They were;
Bennet, William.        26
Hawkins, -              65
Jones, -                42
Jones, John.            48
Miles, Thomas.          25

From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, coal was being produced from the Big Vein and Elled seams with a workforce numbering 436.

By 1908 it had been integrated with Griffin Nos.1, 2 and 3, and Lower Deep Pits. At this time these collieries were employing 3,334 men.

In 1918 there were 1,417 men employed at the Henwaen and Lower deep pits and 1,781 at the Griffin Nos. 1 and 2.


Old coal pit, Blaina.

Sunk in the early 1830's, it was owned by Cruttwell and Frederick Leverick.

An explosion occurred on the 17th of September 1837 killing 12 miners.

On July 3rd 1856, another explosion in claimed the lives of ten miners and in addition the fireman, Hopkin Lewis, sacrificed his life in a despairing rescue attempt.

The mines Inspector, H. B. Mackworth attributed the explosion to inadequate ventilation and the lack of examination of the working places.