Post war britain the dismal history of the coal industry between the world wars, governme. Help needed due to the current situation with covid19 i am unable to complete my original plans for my graduate art exhibition. Merthyr tydfil the past cwm colliery and aberdaremerthyr tunnel. By 1923 the seams were worked out, and thereafter, until 1983, hetty shaft was used as an emergency shaft for ty mawr and lewis merthyr collieries, the engine being run on. Welsh mining experience rhondda heritage park visitwales. The welsh index of multiple deprivation is a welsh government report which comes out every three years and gives an accurate measure of how your area compares to the rest of wales. My name is christine trevett and im writing a history of the educational settlement in dowlais from 1928, through the depression to beyond the second world war, for merthyr tydfil historical society. My grandfather history wales is a country with a rich tradition of song and rugby, a welcoming and open country where they keep the proverbial and cliched welcome in the hillside for all whom enter gods country. The first commercial coal seam was worked in the dulais valley in 1849 and between 1906 and 1919 typically 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes of coal was mined daily with records showing 495 men employed at graig merthyr colliery in 1908. Vol 1 having lived in pontypridd for a number of years i was aware of the collieries in that area. Clydach merthyr colliery was situated near clydach in the swansea valley. A trial pit was dug in 1851, and the colliery was closed in 1926. Follow in the footsteps of the miners who once worked at the lewis merthyr colliery, right here.
Time keepers record of stamps issued and used 19581962. Welsh artist and photographer, andrew johnson, spent four years working empathically alongside the miners of taff merthyr colliery, south wales, until its closure in 1993 and produced a large body of documentary photography which was widely exhibited nationally. The melting pot the heritage and culture of merthyr tydfil. Morgan, 56 years of age, was a wellknown resident of barton street, kurri kurri, and had been employed for many years as a deputy at the stanford merthyr colliery.
Lewis merthyr colliery, coed cae road, trehafod, rhondda cynon taf, cf37 2np. Information, history photographs current and archive and documents for graig merthyr colliery coal mine. Cyfarthfa collieries the heritage and culture of merthyr. When the coal industry was nationalised in 1947, there were 250 collieries in wales. Trelewis colliery ocean deep navigation colliery quakers yard east junction black lion merthyr vale junction bedlinog colliery merthyr vale colliery mine quakers yard tunnel darren colliery groesfaen colliery deri junction penalltau junction ogilvie colliery aberfan tip. By the 1820s, merthyr was the source of 40% of britains iron exports. Taff merthyr colliery alan georges old merthyr tydfil. Posts about merthyr tydfil written by calebspencer. Merthyr tydfil the past cwm colliery and aberdaremerthyr.
The national big pit mining museum of wales is in blaenavon in. If a site was expanded from a level to a colliery, or significant additional shafts were added, the column formerly draws attention to the original site name. South wales coalfield northern mine research society. The monument commemorates miners killed in explosion in stanford merthyr mine in 1905.
Originally called gyfeillion colliery, sunk in 1848. Colliery photos john cornwell was a freelance photographer who took many photographs of collieries, mostly in south wales and the english midlands, both underground and on the surface, during the 1970s and early 1980s. This is not intended to be an exhaustive history of the company, but an indication of the changes of ownership and the links between companies and directors in those companies. The setting up of lodges of the union at merthyr immediately afterward seemed to support this view.
Merthyr tydfil the past cwm colliery and aberdare merthyr tunnel. The colliery photographs of john cornwell national museum wales. South wales and dedicated to the welsh heritage of coal mining. Opened in 1790, lewis merthyr colliery was one of the biggest producers of coal in the world, employing thousands of men. Rhondda heritage park, trehafod, rhondda, south wales is a tourist attraction which offers an. Merthyr vale was a coal mining community which sprung up in the 1870s around the colliery sunk by john nixon between 1869 and 1875, which was originally called the taff colliery. As the colliery was not the first developed in the area, and as colliery developers and owners were known to generally restrict spending on surrounding communities in which they housed their workers, merthyr tydfil council insisted on merthyr vale being developed with both adequate sanitation, as well as community infrastructure. Merthyr vale colliery ynysowen, merthyr tydfil, wales.
Graig merthyr colliery, line of drams in the graigola seam note the. The sinking of the colliery took over six years to complete and when the first coal was brought up there. History of graig merthyr colliery the flood storage area has been constructed near the site of graig merthyr colliery. Welsh coal mining history at rhondda heritage park by cardiff. The graigola seam produced high quality coal which had a very low percentage of ash. The colliery was finally completed prior to the annual report of 1881. My father osborn browning became foreman blacksmith and this photo shows him with striker ken heggie. Rudry merthyr colliery 1899 listed 1898 as rudry merthyr no. Durham mining museum lewis merthyr consolidated collieries ltd. In 1914, the deeper and slightly thicker five feet seam was also developed. He published a number of books on welsh and english collieries. Taff merthyr colliery demolition photograph courtesy of robert amos taff merthyr locomotive taff merthyr south wales miners march past taff merthyr during the closure of taff merthyr. John benson, the thrift of english coalminers, 186095, economic history. As a part of the ireland complex the collieries were able to produce more coal for the company than had been possible since its formation, the colliery ceased production in 1930 but was use as an egress for ireland colliery.
Another photo of his skill, showing miniature safety coupling from rope to cage. Jan 19, 2015 posts about merthyr tydfil written by calebspencer. Williams, the colliery manager, watchcd the inquiry on behalf of messrs. Rhondda heritage park exists on the site of the former lewis merthyr colliery as a testament to the coal mining history of the rhondda valleys, which until the end of the 20th century was one of the most important coal mining areas in the world in an area only 16 miles 26 km long, rhondda alone had over 53 working collieries at one time. List of collieries in the rhondda valleys wikipedia. Colliery states the name the colliery or level was known as when it first opened. The mine was opened in 1863 by the graigola merthyr company, a member of the monmouthshire and south wales coal owners association. Information, photographs and plans for graig merthyr colliery coal mine on the mine exploration web site uk. Events at merthyr were used both by opponents of reform and by its supporters to further their aims.
Aug 22, 2007 the rising at merthyr cause great alarm to the british government, who feared that the colliers union was behind it. Disability and work in the coal economy disability in the. Disability, family and community disability in the industrial. Two shafts were sunk here between 1922 and 1924, to a depth of 630 yards.
If a site was expanded from a level to a colliery, or significant additional shafts were added, the column formerly draws attention to. Durham mining museum britannic merthyr colliery co. I am in my last year on the creative and therapeutic art course at usw, my plan for my exhibition was to meet exminers and gather stories about objects that were special to them hold special stories with them. Rhondda heritage park exists on the site of the former lewis merthyr colliery as a testament to the coal mining history of the rhondda valleys, which until the end of the. Hidden away behind the houses in gowerton is a tenacre plot of woodland. In 1917 the owners changed their name to the graigola merthyr co.
On the 29th october 1905, five miners and one of the directors of the colliery were killed trying to extinguish a. The first pits were sunk during 1873 and is recorded to have been worked by the graigola colliery company by 19. Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. Among the victims of an explosion at gethin colliery near merthyr tydfil in. List of documents relevant to coalfield family history research. Graig merthyr colliery was sited near pontardulais in the amman valley. The bute merthyr colliery, in treherbert in the rhondda valley, was the first colliery to produce steam coal in the rhondda valley. During the first week of february, 19, charles morgan, in a minor accident at the stanford merthyr colliery, suffered what he thought was a minor scratch on his hand. Chapter 1, disability and work in the coal economy. Apr 10, 2015 a walk up to cwm colliery and then down path to abernant tunnel. It was the spoil from this colliery that avalanched down onto the community of aberfan on the 21st of october 1966 killing 144 persons, 116 of whom were school children. Dowlais coal arch the heritage and culture of merthyr tydfil. Check the companys details for free and view the companies house.
It was an area which produced iron rather than things made of iron. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This was the saddest day in the history of coal mining. Check the companys details for free and view the companies house information, company documents and list of directors. On sunday october 29 1905, a huge fire of unknown origin set off several explosions in the stanford merthyr colliery. Rhys, coroner, held an inquest at the aberfan hotel, merthyr vale, upon the bodies of daniel davies and patrick doyle. Ferndale pits blaenllechau colliery, tylorstown, rhondda cynon taf, wales, uk mineral andor locality is an outreach project of the hudson institute of mineralogy, a 501c3 notforprofit organization. This book enhanced my knowledge of the pits where my greatgrandfather, my grandfather and uncle worked from the 1890s through to their closures in the 1960s. Rhymney merthyr colliery closed during depression reopened 1938. The rising at merthyr cause great alarm to the british government, who feared that the colliers union was behind it. His worship the mayor councillor david isaac unveiled a plaque at the foot of a new memorial to the merthyr vale colliery that was at the heart of the community for over 100 years. May 26, 2017 the saddest day in the history of the people of wales. Womens work in early nineteenthcentury scottish coal mines was a legacy of the. Brynlliw colliery was originally sunk between 1903 1908 by thomas williams llangennech ltd.
Graig merthyr colliery coal mine information and photos aditnow. Men at merthyr vale colliery, 7 oct 1969, dncb14415823. Over the years it has acquired a covering of oak trees and willow scrub. Welsh artist and photographer, andrew johnson, spent four years working empathically alongside the miners of taff merthyr colliery, south wales, until its closure in 1993 and produced a large body of documentary photography which was. Rhondda valleys information and history high resolution old photos of the coal mines pits collieries in penygraig in the rhondda valleys, glamorgan, south wales. Discover the history of coins and how they are made at the royal mint. Situated in the cwmdulais valley, three miles from pontardulais, birchrock colliery first appeared in the listings in 1871, but by december 1867 mr. Merthyr vale colliery formerlytaff colliery 1869 1989. The saddest day in the history of the people of wales. Rudry merthyr colliery 1899 listed 1898 as rudry merthyr. Hetty shaft was sunk by the great western colliery company in 1875. While walking down a busy street in midcentury merthyr tydfil, the morning. Ferndale pits blaenllechau colliery, tylorstown, rhondda cynon taf, wales, uk mineral andor locality is an outreach project of the hudson institute of.
The merthyr rising of 1831 was the violent climax to many years of simmering unrest among the large working class population of merthyr tydfil in wales and the surrounding area. It was sunk to work dry steam coals from the swansea four feet seam, at a depth of around 340 yards. Graig merthyr colliery coal mine united kingdom information, history photographs current and archive and documents for graig merthyr colliery coal mine. Millerite from britannic merthyr colliery, gilfach coch. Some people in the borough still have memories of it.