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These excellent photographs were supplied very kindly by Graham
Bennett, via Kath Griffin, for display on this site. Graham who
still lives in Abertillery worked at the colliery for nearly nine years
until its closure in 1985, just before which these pictures were taken
using a 35mm camera.
Apologies are due for any loss in
quality owing to the scanning, compression and size restrictions
required for loading onto the website
There are four pages in total - click
below to access
Rose Heyworth Colliery - page 1
Rose Heyworth Colliery - page 2
Rose Heyworth Colliery - page 3
Rose Heyworth Colliery - page 4
Rose Heyworth Colliery
- a brief history
Rose Heyworth was sunk in 1872 by the South Wales
Colliery Company who already owned Cwmtillery Colliery at that time, its
opening coming at a time of economic stagnation in the development of
Abertillery. Somewhat strangely, the pit was named after either Rosina,
the wife of Lawrence Heyworth, a
Lieutenant Colonel in the army who was the first Managing Director of
the South Wales Company. Its first coal was raised in 1874.
Many of the
original workers in the colliery were housed in new purpose-built
cottages, Clyn Mawr Cottages, named after Clyn Mawr Canol farm on whose
land they were built, which later became known as Newtown and finally
Blaenau Gwent Rows, as they are today.
Lancaster's Steam Coal Company took
over the colliery in 1888, and worked it until nationalisation of the
industry in 1947.
For many years, Rose Heyworth was connected for pumping and ventilation
to the South Griffin Colliery just further up the Ebbw Fach valley past
Bourneville, with Rose Heyworth being the downcast shaft and South Griffin No. 3 pit
the up-cast. A connection also existed with Cwmtillery, which ventilated
some of the Rose Heyworth workings.
In 1896, there were 1625 men producing
coal from the Old Coal, Three Quarters, Big, and Elled seams at Rose
Heyworth whilst by 1918 the joint workforce at Rose Heyworth and Cwmtillery
collieries stood at 2,760. Thereafter, problems in the coal mining
industry and the general economy led to a decline
in fortunes such that by 1938, only 804 men were employed at Rose Heyworth,
which fell to 754
in 1945.
In 1959 Rose Heyworth was integrated with
Cwmtillery to become Abertillery New Mine after a new drift mine was driven
1,200 yards at a 1 in 5 gradient to raise the coal from the two pits.
Coal from Blaenserchan Colliery was also brought to the surface for
washing and preparation using the same drift.
After 113 years in existence, Rose
Heyworth closed on October 9th, 1985.
The
head gear and cages. The
blue and white tin shed is the banksman's cabin.
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