Lander, 57, pumpsman, celynen south colliery newbridge. Historic images of the collieries of the south wales coalfield, showing the surface workings, colliery buildings, engines houses and head frames, loading screens and banks, drifts, levels, shafts, railway connections, sidings and colliery owned wagons, underground scenes and groups of miners, from the counties of monmouthshire, glamorganshire, carmarthenshire and. This mine was to become celynen south colliery following the opening of the north pit in 191914. The pit closed in 1986 with the loss of over 600 jobs.
The reference library at the national mining museum houses books, journals, trade catalogues and periodicals covering the history of the coal mining industry. Situated in the ebbw valley between abercarn and newbridge, sinking by the newport abercarn black vein steam coal co. Fretwell 1700 two thirds of the national coal output was produced on the banks of the rivers tyne and wear. Mar 20, 2020 the journey begins at bassaleg junction and runs close to the ebbw river in the deepening ebbw vale. What is now known as the hartford drift previously called baldwins, is directly south of the city shirt dressing department, 108110 west. Whilst working as a miner at celynen he was also a local official for the national union of mineworkers num, and he took an active part in the miners strike of 198485 please note, this booklet was printed, produced and bound privately, and so lacks the finish of a proffessional publication i. Vincent lloyd, john lloyd, tom barraby and john harrison, all miners at south celynen colliery, near newbridge. Coal mining a general history timeline by ernest t. Old photos of abercarn abercarne in monmouthshire sir.
Celynen south colliery abercarn south wales youtube. In 1905 celynen south was producing 10,000 tons a week and employed 1740 men. Celynen north colliery, 32, celynen south collieryactive coalface, 1976, 46. Nationalisation south wales coalfield mining history coal. Find the perfect celynen south colliery stock photo. The colliery photographs of john cornwell national museum wales. Amazing pictures give rare glimpse of 1960s mining communities. Sinkings commenced in 1873 with the first coal being raised in. William farmer, one of the oldest officials, was killed by a journey of trams. Early morning picket, celynen south colliery, south wales, 6th november 1984. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. He was the national union of mineworkers lodge secretary at that pit for fourteen years, and served for three years on the south wales area executive council of the num, taking an active part in the 198485 miners strike. Celynen north, owned by the same company, first produced coal in 1916 and in 1920s was employing 1500 men.
Thus the institute was built in the heyday of celynen south and was serving the miners of both collieries when the pits were working at their greatest capacity. The gormans then opened and operated what was known as the new gormans colliery webmasters note. Numerous tramroads connected nearby pits and ironworks with the canal. The author, ray lawrence, was born in cwmcarn, and was the third generation of miners in his family. A short history of blaenserchan colliery, by ray lawrence. Cwm colliery was opened by the great western colliery co. A miners lamp, a symbol of past industrial history in wales, on the hills of the black mountains in the brecon. Maypole colliery disaster with links to pictures of the the disaster memorial plus what is left of the pit today. The site has been cleared and supports an industrial estate and some waste land. When the coal industry was nationalised in 1947, there were 250 collieries in wales. In some mines miners worked in coal seams less than two feet thick, like the photo in the upper right. Celynen north colliery coal mine information and photos. The celynen collieries workingmens institute, the stute and memorial.
Nationalisation south wales coalfield mining history. In the united kingdom and south africa, a coal mine and its. Smashwords about ray lawrence, author of social unrest in. The south celynen colliery originally known as just the celynen colliery was sunk by the newport abercarn black vein steam coal company limited. When dad worked at bestwood workshops he often used to go with the van to tredegar, not sure if a workshops or pit or both were there. In january 1908 at a meeting in connection with a proposed recreation ground at crumlin, the councillors heard that kay field, one of the options for a park was out of the question as it had been promised to the newport abercarn coal company for future. Another pumpsman, on going to relieve the deceased, was shocked to find only his coat and watch hanging in the pump room. A short history of blaenserchan colliery by ray lawrence. He was the national union of mineworkers, lodge secretary at that colliery for fourteen years, and served for three years on the south wales area executive council of. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s, has been widely used to generate electricity. This book explores the history of welsh mining between 1964 and 1985. Monmouthshire, abercarn, celynen south colliery production began in 1876 closed in 1985. The photographs were passed to the scotspeak project by the cardenden mining museum, so it is thought that the images may have been on display at the museum and one time. In 2010 all the saplings have now grownup and the two colliery headshaft wheels have been lost in a forest.
During the 1980s, he photographed at the celynen south colliery, in south wales, uk. Celynen south colliery wheels all thats left of celynen. After an uneventful life graig fawr closed in 1961 and the rest of the colliery in 1989. View topic celynen north colliery coal mine uk mine. All were sunk by the newport abercarn black vein steam coal company. Two miners in the pit head baths at the celynen south colliery in the south wales valleys. Some of the least desirable mines to work in were those. The scenic views are interspersed by fascinating panoramas of collieries long gone, together with pictures of the varied railway architecture employed. Celynen collieries workmens institute, newbridge, caerphilly. A brief history of mining around standish includes details of robin hill drift mine. Newbridge and crumlin, the industrial archaeology and history. Sections of shafts in the productive coal measures above and below the pennant grit in the oneinch map 249 south monmouthshire and east glamorganshire.
Even in the haulageways the miners could not stand upright as in the lower right photo. Aug 21, 2016 video footage of the mining industry in abercarn. Wales was famous for its coal mining, in the rhondda valley, the south wales valleys and throughout the south wales coalfield and by 19 barry had become the largest coal exporting port in the world, with. Site description celynen south colliery also known as newport abercarn colliery prior to sinking of the celynen north colliery began in 1874.
Colliery definition is a coal mine and its connected buildings. Information, photographs and plans for celynen north colliery coal mine on the mine exploration web site uk. Photographer roger tiley documented celynen south colliery, crumlin miners. A photographic history of mining in south wales britain in old. Trecelyn is a town and community in the county borough of caerphilly, south wales. Total national output was 2,612,000 tons 1705 most shafts were 7 to 8 feet in diameter and up to 360 feet in depth. Jun 4, 2019 some of the least desirable mines to work in were those that mined low vein coal. Cwm colliery, beddau, llantwit fardre, rhondda cynon taf. July 1928 due to severe depression in the industry notice was served on 1,600 employees.
The pickets are there to stop the government closing thier pit. Celynen south colliery has been of great assistance in helping me to reconstruct the history of the coal. An introduction and listing of the books contents page is on wales. The last generations of miners in wales are captured in. It started as the monmouthshire canal navigation and opened canals from newport to pontypool and to crumlin from 1796. Penrhiwbica looking south, newbridge, september 2012. Banners of the durham coalfield, norman emery, 1998, sutton publishing ltd.
The north celynen colliery was sunk by the newport abercarn black vein steam coal company between 1908 and 1916. He was working the afternoon shift on the saturday till 10pm. Ray lawrence has now produced a book a history of the celynen south colliery. The last generations of miners in wales are captured in these poignant photos photographer roger tiley documented celynen south colliery, crumlin miners rescue and the picket lines during the 1984. Whilst working as a miner at celynen he was also a local official for the national union of mineworkers num, and he took an active.
Edited for the royal commission on the ancient and historical monuments. Miners emerge from a cage after going underground at horden colliery. Record details sections of shafts in the productive coal. Free uk delivery on book orders dispatched by amazon over. The monmouthshire railway and canal company was a canal and railway company that operated a canal and a network of railways in the western valley and eastern valley of newport, monmouthshire. To stop the miners stopping the government closing the pit.
He worked for twentyfive years at the celynen south colliery, abercarn, until its closure in 1985. All thats left of celynen south colliery at abercarn in south wales uk are the two headshaft wheels left as a monument. Two miners at the south celynen colliery in the south wales valleys. He published a number of books on welsh and english collieries. The gwyddon valley west end celynon south colliery celynon south colliery st 215959 the site of the colliery has been completely cleared and being redeveloped but an interesting relic of the aerial ropeway still exists. Mining in wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of wales throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Celynen south was one of the last mines to raise coal with the use of a. Abercarn, west end and the gwyddon, the industrial. Celynen north colliery st 212972 celynen north colliery downcast shaft was sunk in 19, followed by the upcast and the graig fawr house coal shafts in 1924. Dates in brackets indicate the date that the colliery merged with another. The company was started on the 17th february 1873 when communications between mr john cory, mr richard cory jnr, mr thomas beynon and theophilus john beynon trading under the name or firm of t.
A miner at the south celynen colliery in the south wales valleys. In the united kingdom and south africa, a coal mine and its structures are a colliery, a coal mine is a pit, and. The story of when the worlds most famous photographer. Sinkings commenced in 1873 with the first coal being raised in 1876. South wales coalfield northern mine research society.
I am writing a book on the pit and village and would like to use the. Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Jan 10, 2012 he published a number of books on welsh and english collieries. It lies within the historic boundaries of the county of monmouthshire. The institute was the cornerstone of the community and among the amenities available to members were a library, reading room and dance hall, and a. Happier feet celynen south colliery abercarn 1970 facebook. Privately produced by the author in 2008, 152 pages.
This whole site is now a housing estate, only the main gwr lines exist. Notes towards a history of the englishlanguage book in. The scene of the terrible accident was the celynen pit, situated at abercarn, south. Smashwords about ray lawrence, author of social unrest. Contributions continued from workmen of llanhilleth colliery, aberbeeg south colliery, oakdale colliery, celynen collieries. During the first half of the nineteenth century mining was often at the centre of workingclass discontent in wales, and a number of uprisings such as the merthyr rising in 1831 against employers were a characteristic of the industrial revolution in wales, dic penderyn became a martyr to industrial workers. Author is obviously a coal mining supporter, and as such is inclined to favour the miners in his descriptions.
Since then i have been to university and am now teaching. Celynen south colliery, south wales photographed by roger. From mark smith, via mining history group on the internet 26 feb 2000. The colliery closed in september 1985 and was demolished. These earliest known checks are of a brass embossed design and are unusual although not unique in that they bear a date in their legend. His books have been used as presentations to such dignitaries as the head of the. 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. The national archives series coal, records created or inherited by the national coal board and of related bodies concerning the coal industry including nationalised coal board and inspectors reports into mining disasters and surveys, maps and photographs county record offices individual colliery and mining company records including deposited personnel files. Administrative biographical history celynen north lodge was a branch of the national union of mineworkers south wales area representing celynen north colliery.
Possibly the earliest true colliery checks lamp or possibly even time checks know of are those used at elsecar low colliery in south yorkshire. Family history bookhistory booksappalachian peoplenorth shieldscoal. Cwm colliery, beddau, llantwit fardre, rhondda cynon taf, wales, uk. The cwmcarn dam disaster by tony jukes, danygraig books. Llanhilleth colliery workmens institute and library. The photographs were transferred to glamorgan archives by staff at on at fife archives, who discovered the collection during the listing of the scotspeak oral history collection. Celynen south was one of the last mines to raise coal with the use of a steampowered engine. This photo was taken around 2000 on a beautiful frosty sunday morning. Celynen north colliery downcast shaft was sunk in 19, followed by the upcast and the graig fawr house coal shafts in 1924. National mining museum scotland the collections at the museum comprise over 60,000 items, including objects, archive material, photographs and books.
Monmouthshire, abercarn, brass foundry on left, tin works on the right. The celynen north colliery also incorporated the graig fawr colliery as a housecoal pit. Celynen north colliery, newbridge, no 5 abersychan, peckett works no 1009. Excellent site, i started work at the south celynen colliery, abercarn in 1977 until its closure in 1985 and then went onto to work at marine colliery, cwm until its closure in 1989. Monmouthshire, abercarn, canal lock opposite the new inn pub. We have hundreds of quality books for sale in our ebay shop, and all our books are arranged in convenient categories to make browsing easier so if you are interested in other books like this one, why not have a look through our welsh local history category where you can also find many other books and booklets on the history of welsh collieries and coal mining in south wales. Celynen south colliery, south wales photographed by. Outside membership consisted of nonminers who paid subscriptions. Rlwso this booklet provides a history of the collieries of the ebbw valleys in south wales, and antries are arranged in an a to z format. These low roof mines offered difficult and cramped working conditions at best. Llanhilleth colliery workmens institute and library records. Ray lawrence, was born at cwmcarn, south wales, and was the third generation of miners in his family. A4 booklet, with clear plastic cover and glued binding.
Celynen south colliery wheels all thats left of celynen s. The gwyddon valley west end celynon south colliery. Celynen south colliery menelaus, celynon south colliery aerial ropeway bucket no 33. Latterly it was connected underground to oakdale colliery.
78 682 106 917 766 351 190 1367 143 1011 1082 43 1082 322 276 1147 248 716 579 882 1225 306 700 1025 1315 1441 162 1087 1454 595 1250 1494 637 848 580