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Cwmtillery Colliery - a brief history

In 1843, Thomas Brown, owner of Blaina Iron Works, established Tir Nicolas Colliery by sinking the first shaft to the Elled seam at 130 yards at Tir Nicolas farm. In 1852, John Russell, a previous partner of Thomas Brown at the Iron Works took over and extended and deepened the shafts, No. 3 (240 yards) and No. 2 (185 yards). When Russell took over ownership of the new colliery, he described the scene at Tir Nicolas before the colliery buildings were erected: "A typical Welsh valley farm with massive gables and a stone-tiled roof, situated low in the valley for shelter. The front garden was surrounded by hedges of Holly and Beech and its stone-flagged pathways were lined with dwarf bunders of clipped box bushes. Near the house was a watermill. Inside the house sat two women working at spinning wheel, making wool for knitting or weaving. Large sides of bacon hung from the rafters and simple food, including milk, butter and cheese made from ewe's milk, and instead of wheaten bread, crisp fresh oatcakes was the diet."

PAST IMAGES OF ABERTILLERY: CWMTILLERY COLLIERY; a history in pictures

Despite the death of 13 men died in an underground explosion on 27 May, 1857, a further shaft 261 yards deep was added in 1858. During 1864 the South Wales Colliery Company was formed to purchase the colliery. Two years later in 1866, there was an explosion killing 3 men, after an air door had been left open. Another explosion on 5 April, 1873 resulted in 6 more deaths. The colliery's biggest disaster struck on 18 December 1876 when an explosion happened in the three-quarter seam at around 6 am killing 16 men and boys instantly. Two others died from their injuries two days later. Another 21 workers were injured, 11 seriously. Most of the deaths and injuries were the result of serious burns and it is thought that the final death toll reached 23 as others succumbed to their injuries in the following years.

Lancaster, Spier & Company, later to become, Lancaster’s Steam Coal Company, took over the lease in 1888. The Inspector of Mines 1896 list shows a workforce of 1615 men at South Wales Cwmtillery Colliery and Rose Heyworth, producing coal from the Old Coal, Big Vein, Elled and Three Quarter seams. By 1908 the workforce at these two pits had risen to 2,664 and ten years later, this had risen to 2,760.

The images above and to the right from the 1890s are some of the oldest known of the colliery. The image immediately above shows a new pit wheel being erected - compare with the ones on the right where it is finished.  

The image right at the top of the page (courtesy of Graham Bennett) shows the original South Wales Inn (centre left in the picture).

By nationalisation just after the second world war, the workforce numbered just about 1200. In its first 100 years an estimated 32 million tons of coal was produced at this colliery. It was integrated with Rose Heyworth in 1959 after a new drift mine, Abertillery New Mine was driven 1,200 yards at a 1 in 5 gradient to raise the coal from the two pits.

Cwmtillery was one of the first collieries in South Wales to use the Meco-Moore Power Loader. It also had the longest man-riding system in South Wales, carrying men 3000 metres into the Garw Seam. The colliery closed in 1982.