.. SPRINGVALE MAIN ADIT   ..

An adit is a type of entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal. Adits are usually built into the side of a hill or mountain.

The "waterfall" above the adit (near the back of Aran Court - Thornhill road). In this area are Stourbridge Fireclay Co., Cwmbran Fireclay Co., and H Parfit fireclay bricks, as well as "H" and "HD" bricks

Looking down towards the back of the adit wall, visible to the left of the picture.

Part of the watercourse by the adit.  The �steps� are fireclay bricks.

The adit from the front - Only the remains of the top wall are visible now, the arch and the wall to the right were bulldozed in possibly the 1980s.

The adit in 1976.  The wall along the top is completely ivy covered.  The keystone was carved `1879`

The adit in its working days.

Downstream of the adit.  The side wall is still visible here.

At the bottom of the slope from the adit.  In the 1960s there were still some beams across these two walls, with handrails.  To the left were fields, now part of the Greenmeadow Community Farm, to the right a track leading to Broad View and Adit Walk.

In the 1960s, this area below the wall, was fenced off and used as an allotment by a local family.  This allotment had the local name of �Bugs� Prop�.  After the establishment of the Community Farm, this area was turned into a water fowl pond, with disastrous results.

Further down Bugs� Prop.  Further back up towards the adit were the old colliery offices (since demolished and incorporated into the Community Farm) which became a small farm.  After having had his property compulsorily purchased, originally for the school which was subsequently built at Fairwater, the farmer was told of the pond plans and asked for his advice.  He told the council it would be impossible as the mine workings in the area would drain away any water, reducing the area to a boggy mess. They dammed the stream off anyway, created a duck pond and, for a short while it looked nice.  Today, as you can see, he was proved right.  On the ground behind the big wall was a semi-circular tunnel overlooking Springvale and the old coke washery, with another tunnel, collapsed at the back. To the front of these tunnels were the foundations of possibly, an engine house complex.  Part of the cableway system from the adit to the coke washery? The tunnels were about three feet tall, and great fun to play in.

The �Water Adit� going into the big wall.  In the 1960s, a stream poured out of here, as it still does today.

The Water Adit today, the railings have been prised apart and the brickwork blocking it up knocked out (much as in my childhood!).

The Water Adit as it was in 1976. On the key stone �RB & Co� (Reginald Blewitt).  In the 1960s/70s a local in Adit Walk used to go into the old mine workings to dig coal for his fire, possibly here. Not a sensible thing to do as on one occasion, as always, alone, he was trapped by a fall.  Nobody would have known where he was, he would have simply disappeared (literally from the face of the earth). Fortunately he managed to dig himself out.

(Kindly contributed by Lawrence Skuse 24th January 2008)

 .. To read info connecting the `Springvale Main Adit` with Porthmawr Colliery -Upper Cwmbran click here ..