List of collieries in the Rhondda Valleys

The Rhondda Valleys were, between 1860 and 1939, one of the world's most important coal mining regions. The list below attempts to show a complete list of levels and collieries opened within the Rhondda. A level is seen as a horizontal cut into a hill or mountain to access a seam of coal, while a colliery consists of shafts mined into the earth to reach seams of coal underground.

List entries

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Colliery states the name the colliery or level was known as when it first opened; many sites were enlarged, and some levels were developed into collieries. 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.

The Date opened records the first attempt to open a level or pit at the site, though often the level or colliery was abandoned without production due to problems; which including flooding, financing or failure to reach a seam. The Original owner category lists the person or organisation that first attempted to open the mine, though again they may not have been the first person or group to successfully extract coal from the site. The Closed date is the year where the colliery or level stopped extracting coal, though many mines were kept open as ventilation or pumping shafts after they became economically nonviable.

Men employed returns the numbers of workers at each mine at the colliery's peak. This does not reflect the tonnage of coal extracted, just the numbers of men working. Many dates reoccur as these are the years when the Inspector of Mines took official head counts.

Number Colliery Formerly Date opened Original owner Location Closed Men employed Coal seam mined
1 Dinas Levels 1809 Walter Coffin Dinas Unknown Unknown Rhondda No. 2
2 Dinas Lower Colliery 1812 Walter Coffin Dinas 1893 Unknown Rhondda No. 3
3 Dinas Middle Colliery 1832 Walter Coffin Dinas 1893 Unknown Rhondda No. 3
4 Brithweunydd Level 1839 Walter Coffin Trealaw Unknown Unknown Unknown
5 South Cymmer Level 1841 Richard Lewis Cymmer Unknown Unknown Unknown
6 Nythbran Level 1844 Lewis Edwards/George Gethin Porth Unknown Unknown Unknown
7 Cymmer Level 1844 George Insole Cymmer Unknown Unknown Unknown
8 Gellifaelog Colliery 1845 Walter Coffin Tonypandy Unknown Unknown Unknown
Newbridge Colliery[1][2] 1845 John Calvert Gelliwion, Pontypridd 1897 486 (1896) Rhondda No. 3
9 Porth Colliery 1845 David W. James Porth Unknown Unknown Unknown
10 Troedyrhiw (Aber Rhondda) Colliery 1845 Leonard Hadley Ynyshir 1901 130 (1896) Rhondda No. 3
11 Ynyshir House 1845 Shepherd & Evans Ynyshir 1909 55 (1908) Rhondda No. 2
12 Perch Levels 1847 William Perch Blaenclydach Unknown Unknown Rhondda No. 2
13 Cymmer (Old) Colliery 1847 George Insole & Son Cymmer 1940 780 (1918) Rhondda No. 3
14 Coedcae Colliery 1850 Edward Mills Trehafod 1935 585 (1923) Rhondda No. 3
15 Hafod (Lewis Merthyr) 1850 D. & J. Thomas Trehafod 1983 3288 (1918) Two foot, Five feet, Six feet, Nine feet, Red, Gellideg
16 Llwyncelyn Colliery 1851 David W. James Porth 1895 Unknown Unknown
17 Rhondda Merthyr (Bute) Colliery 1851 Marquess of Bute Treherbert 1926 801 (1918) Seven feet
18 Upper Cymmer Colliery 1851 J.H. Insole Cymmer ≤1918 182 (1896) Unknown
19 Glynfach Colliery 1851 Issac Williams Porth Unknown Unknown Unknown
20 Tynewydd Colliery 1852 Cope, Lewis & Thomas Porth 1901 118 (1896) Rhondda No. 3
21 Lady Margaret Colliery 1853 Marquess of Bute Treherbert 1940s 1053 (1938) Six feet, Seven feet, Gorllwyn
22 New Cymmer Colliery 1855 J.H. Insole Porth 1940 1636 (1923) Five feet, Nine feet, Gellideg
23 Ellis Level 1855 Richard Ellis Porth Unknown Unknown Unknown
24 Tylecoch Colliery 1855 J.Carr, Morrsion & Co. Treorchy 1930 Unknown Unknown
25 Dunraven Levels 1856 Philip Taylor Blaencwm ≤1930 478 (1918) Rhondda No. 2
26 Gelligaled Colliery 1856 V. L. Lewis Ystrad Unknown Unknown Unknown
27 Tyntyla Level 1856 Robert Parsons Ystrad Unknown Unknown Unknown
28 Bodringallt Level 1856 D. Jones & D. James Ystrad Unknown Unknown Unknown
29 Blaenllechau Colliery 1857 D. Davies Blaenllechau 1959 Unknown Unknown
30 Pentre Level 1857 Edward Curtis Pentre Unknown Unknown Unknown
31 Church Level 1857 Edward Curtis Pentre Unknown Unknown Unknown
32 Penygraig Drift 1857 Thomas Ellis Penygraig Unknown Unknown Unknown
33 Dunraven Level 1858 Thomas Joseph Blaencwm Unknown Unknown Unknown
34 Graig Level 1858 Thomas Jones Blaencwm Unknown Unknown Unknown
35 Penygraig Level 1858 M. Rowlands Penygraig 1919 220 (1896) Rhondda No. 3
36 Cynllwyn Du Colliery 1858 Thomas Wayne Tylorstown 1936 Gellideg seam
37 Ynysfeio Colliery 1859 Troedyrhiw Colliery Coal Co. Treherbert 1930s 1382 (1923) Gorllwyn, Four Foot, Five Foot, Seven Foot
38 Llwynypia Level 1859 Isaac Smith Llwynypia Unknown Unknown Unknown
39 Abergorchy Level 1859 Huxham, Hopkin & Morgan Treorchy 1935 2278 (1908) Rhondda No. 3
40 Glyncoli Level 1860 C James Treorchy Unknown Unknown Unknown
41 Bwllfa Level 1862 Richardson & Carr Ton Pentre Unknown Unknown Unknown
42 Brithweunydd Level 1862 Daniel Thomas Trealaw Unknown Unknown Unknown
43 Glamorgan (Llwynypia) Colliery (No. 1 & 2) 1863 Glamorgan Coal Co. Llwynypia 1945 Unknown Rhondda No. 2 and No. 3
44 Blaenclydach Colliery 1863 Bush & Co. Blaenclydach 1947 606 (1923) Pentre seam
45 Pentre Colliery Pentre Level 1864 Curteis, Greenhill & Ware Pentre 1929 1190 (1908) Five feet, Yard seam, Bute seam
46 Bodringallt Colliery 1864 Warner, Simpson & Co. Ystrad 1936 930 (1896) Six feet, Nine feet, Two feet, Red seam
47 Cwmclydach Colliery 1864 D. & E. Thomas Cwmclydach c. 1895 Unknown Unknown
48 Tydraw Colliery Dunraven Level 1865 Thomas Joseph Blaencwm 1959 1049 (1923) Four feet, Five feet, Six feet, Gorllwyn, Yard seam
49 Tynewydd Colliery 1865 Ebenezer Lewis Tynewydd 1911 Unknown Number 2, Four and Six feet
50 Parc Colliery 1865 D. Davies & Partners Cwmparc 1966 2000+ (1945) Two feet Nine, Six feet, Garw, New seam
51 Maendy (Maindy) Colliery 1865 D. Davies & Partners Ton Pentre 1948 1155 (1896) Two feet Nine, Seven feet, Bute, New seam
52 Adare Colliery 1866 Daniel Thomas Penygraig Unknown Unknown Unknown
53 Ynyswen Level 1869 Morgan Jones Treorchy Unknown Unknown Unknown
54 Dinas Colliery 1869 Daniel Thomas Dinas Unknown Unknown Unknown
55 Blaenrhondda (Dunraven) Colliery 1869 Cardiff & Merthyr Steam Co. Blaenrhondda 1920s 386 (1908) Rhondda No. 2
56 Gelli Colliery 1870 E. Thomas & G. Griffiths Gelli 1962 905 (1908) Seven feet, Five feet, Yard seam, Pentre seam
57 Dare Colliery 1870 D. Davies and Co. Cwmparc 1966 1121 (1923) Six feet, Three feet Ten, Red seam, Brunt, Little
58 Trealaw (Llwynypia No. 3) Colliery 1872 Trealaw ≤1918 Unknown Rhondda No. 3
59 Glynmoch Colliery 1872 Treorchy Unknown Unknown Unknown
60 Fernhill Colliery 1872 Ebenezer Lewis Blaenrhondda 1978 1712 (1938) Gorllwyn, Four feet, Two Feet Nine
61 Clydach Vale (Cambrian) Colliery (No. 1) 1872 S. Thomas & J. Riches Clydach Vale 1965 1933 (1923) Pentre seam, Five feet, Coronation
62 Llwynypia Colliery (No. 4 & 5) 1872 Glamorgan Coal Co. Llwynypia Unknown Unknown Unknown
63 Pendyrys Colliery 1874 Tylor Colliery Co. Tylorstown 1936
64 Clydach Vale (Cambrian) Colliery (No. 2) 1874 Samuel Thomas & J. Riches Clydach Vale 1965 1253 (1923) Nine feet
65 Mardy Colliery 1875 M. Jones & W. Cobb Maerdy 1985 2024 (1918) Four, Five, Six and Nine feet, Red, Abagorki, Gorllwyn, New and Bute seams
66 Standard Colliery 1875 Ynyshir Steam Coal Co. Ynyshir 1968 1454 (1908) Four foot
67 Tynybedw Colliery 1876 E. Thomas & G. Griffiths Pentre 1933 787 (1908) Nine feet, Seven feet
68 Eastern Colliery 1877 D. Davies & Co. Pentre 1948 923 (1923) Bute seam, Lower seam
69 Cymmer Colliery Cymmer (Old) Colliery 1877 G. Insole & Son Porth 1940 2331 (1914) Five feet, Nine feet, Hafod seam, Gellideg seam
70 Pandy Colliery (Naval No. 1) 1879 Naval Colliery Co. Tonypandy 1958 699 (1896) Pentre
71 National Colliery (Cwch) 1880 M. Cope & H. Tennet Wattstown 1968 1500 (1905) Nine feet, Five feet, Gellideg
72 Ely Colliery (Naval No. 2) 1880 New Naval Colliery Co. Penygraig c. 1928 699 (1896) Nine feet, Bute, Pentre
73 Dinas Colliery 1881 Dinas Steam Coal Co. Dinas Unknown Unknown Unknown
74 Merthyr Navigation Hafod 1881 William Thomas Lewis Trehafod 1983 3844 Five feet, Six feet, Nine feet, Gellideg, Red seam, Two foot Nine
75 Clydach Vale (Cambrian) Colliery (No. 3) 1891 Cambrian Colliery Co, Clydach Vale 1936 Unknown Pentre seam, Five feet, Coronation
76 Nantgwyn Colliery (Naval No. 3) 1892 Naval Colliery Co, Penygraig ≤1945 1333 (1923) Four feet, Six feet, Nine Feet, Bute seam
77 Hendrewen (Glenrhondda) Colliery 1899 Glenavon Garw Colliery Co. Blaencwm 1966 434 (1923) Rhondda No. 2, Gorllwyn
78 Lady Lewis Colliery 1904 Lewis MErthyr Consolidated Collieries Co, Ynyshir 1930s 1265 (1923) Two feet Nine, Four feet, Six feet, Nine feet, Red
79 Anthony Colliery (Naval No. 4) 1910 Naval Colliery Co, Tonypandy 1958 Unknown Pentre seam

References

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  1. ^ "Newbridge Colliery, Pontypridd". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. NPRN 403679.
  2. ^ Hughes, Stephen; Malaws, Brian; Parry, Medwyn; Wakelin, Peter (1994). Collieries of Wales. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. pp. 69, 170. ISBN 1-871184-11-8.

Bibliography

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  • Carpenter, David J. (2000). Rhondda Collieries. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-1730-4.
  • May, John (2003). Rhondda 1203 - 2003: The Story of the Two Valleys. Caerphilly: Castle Publications. ISBN 1-871354-09-9.
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