Cwmbran Colliery

Location: Upper Cwmbran.

Outcrops of coal which were part of the presently named Gwent coal basin, attracted attention as early as 1698 where a record exists of a deed relating to Thomas Arnold's `colework` which was sold to Major John Hanbury of Pontypool.

In 1793 a member of the Hanbury family through marriage a Mr. Thomas Stoughton, an Irishman from Ballyhorgan, who was previously manager of John Hanbury`s works in Pontypool used his money to invest in the mining activities of coal and iron ore and took out a lease additional land belonging to a Mr. Jones of Glyn Bran Farm (16th Century dwelling). As an additional note-In 1797 Thomas Stoughton became Sheriff of Monmouthshire.

Mineslope Cottages

These cottages which are still habited are shown on the 1831 2-inch Ordnance Survey map, surveyed in 1813, and must therefore, be the oldest mine cottages in the area.

Mineslope Cottages

The `Porthmawr` sleeper fragment was found on the stretch of the `incline` past the Mineslope Cottages.

Profile view

Side View

Illustration from Millie Cadwell`s book `Upper Cwmbran A Search into the Past` (1979)

In 1837, two separate levels were driven into the Eastern slope of Mynydd Maen (Mountain of Stones), Aptley named as Nos.1 and 2 Levels to work coal and clay for the local brickworks. No.2 Level was also known as the Clay level because it primarily produced `fire clay`.
Opened by Reginald.J. Blewitt who lived at Llantarnam Abbey with it's Great Gate or Magna Porta (Latin) which translated into Welsh is Porthmawr.
Various stories have been told of the origins of `The Square`; a group of houses laid out in a `square pattern` .... click here for info.
In 1843 Blewitt`s colliers went on strike because he announced that with the agreement of other South Wales mine owners, that they were going to reduce their wages by 5d a ton. The result of the strike was that several miners were sentenced to one month's hard labour for breaking their contract. The colliers, reluctantly returned to work!
Several years later, R.J.Blewitt experienced financial difficulties and in 1852 it was sold to John Lawrence.
Also in 1852 a Copy of Plan of Early Mines Area - shows underground workings and a tunnel to Pontypool. The original Accompanies 1852 Deed (Ref. No.40)
Accidents were common as an example, in 1856 a boy was run over by the trams after he was `thrown` from the horse pulling the empty trams into the level. Mr. Cousins, the surgeon who lived at Cwmbran House (Pontnewydd) attended to the boys injuries.
Expansion of the colliery by sinking Cwmbran Mine Slope came about in 1854.

.. Mine Slope entrance and Fan House circa 1982 ..

.. Circa 1989- n.b Torfaen Borough council refurbished the entrance walls..

Foul air was sucked from the mine workings by a large steam driven fan housed in the `Fan House` and fresh air entered the mine via several air shafts that are dotted around the mountainside.

Photograph includes Mr and Mrs J. Lloyd`s grandson -( Upper Cwmbran-The Square)

.. Fan House circa 1989 ..

Originally it housed a huge ventilation fan to exhaust stale air from the Adit; when the MINE SLOPE Adit closed in 1916/17, the fan was removed and relocated to the Henllys Colliery.

.. * n.b The Mine Slope entrance and Fan House were demolished, a number of years, ago due to `Health and Safety ` reasons ..

A section of discarded Tram rail

..The Engine House was situated in front of the Mine Slope entrance..

.. The foundations can be seen by clicking on the photograph to enlarge ..

1865 saw the closure of No.1 Level .
In 1866 the owner was John Lawrence of Crick and the Manager, a Mr.Green.

In 1866,A horrific accident occurred at 2.45a.m in the morning of the 26th of April and subsequently reported in the Monmouthshire Merlin on the Saturday; the article Headline- "Distressing Accident at Cwmbran Colliery". "Cwmbran Colliery, property of Mr. John Lawrence of Crick was the scene of a very lamentable occurrence by which three men were almost instantaneously launched into eternity .
. . The Colliery is started by a level in the side of a hill which continues for about half a mile to the top of the underground inclined planes, there being an angle in what is called the Eled coal at a point a quarter mile from the entrance. At the top of the incline to the rise of the level, is situated one of the boilers used for winding and pumping. The boiler is about forty foot long, by six feet in diameter with two tubes, two feet four inches each and has been about five years in work. A four-inch `blow off` or `tapping pipe` by means of which the boiler is cleansed, runs underneath, and is carried to the arched entrance to the boiler- room, where the tap projects slightly into the roadway, which is twelve feet wide, and, along which, a double line of rails is laid, except just opposite the boiler, where there is only a single line.
At 2.45 on Thursday morning, one of the night hauliers was returning from the mouth of the level along the roadway described, with four empty trams, more rapidly it is supposed, than he ought to have done, when the front trams were `jolted` off the rails and struck the end of the `tapping-pipe`, knocking off a piece and so giving full and instant vent to the whole contents of the boiler."
The bodies of the haulier and a master-mason were found at the lower end of the boiler-room and that of the stoker, by the side of of the boiler, Mr. Green, the Manager and Mr. Cousins the surgeon of Cwmbran House (Pontnewydd) were sent for.
The three unfortunate souls were: Isaac Maynard, master-mason, aged 39, who left a widow and six children (his tomb is in the Siloam Baptist Churchyard); Robert Allen, the haulier, aged 33years and single; John Morgan, the stoker, aged 22years and also single.
A witness expressed the opinion that "the tram must have gone with great force against the pipe to have broken it" and Her Majesty's Inspector of Mines commented that the opening to the Colliery was very bad - too cramped - and that at present there was no room for alterations, but that this was the fault of the original proprietor.

By 1875 it was owned by the Patent Nut and Bolt Company and coal output was used at their works in Cwmbran.
In 1879 the Company opened another heading or level named the Cwmbran Adit about a mile further down the valley from the Mine Slope. Subsequently they were linked and then became the main entrance and coal delivery point.

.. click on the photograph to enlarge ..

In the 1880`s the Patent Nut and Bolt Company became the owners of Henllys Colliery, previously the colliery had been owned by Hanson & Co. then later Hill & Co . Subsequently both collieries were linked underground.

In 1896 the workforce numbered 680 men underground and 118 men on the surface; the Manager was a Mr.J.Jacob.
In 1897 two seams were being worked ..The Meadow Vein and the Black Vein. They produced Gas, Coking, Manufacturing and Steam Coal.
To read an account of a `Cwmbran Man`s Shocking Death` ... click here
In 1902 The Patent Nut and Bolt Company became Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Limited and employed 840 men underground and 140 men on the surface and coal output for that year was 260,875 tons.

In 1908 their were 1,074 men employed underground and 144 men on the surface; the Manager at that time was Mr.W.Waplington.
In 1913 employees had risen to 1,483 at the Cwmbran Mine; the Manager at that time was a Mr. Thomas Welch.
In 1916 Mine Slope closed and the ventilation fan was dismantled and transferred to the Henllys Colliery.
In 1918 employees at the mine numbered 884 men underground and 148 men on the surface; Mr. Thomas Welch was still Manager.

Nola McSweeney (nee Hodges) relates Sept 2009:
My Grandfather, John Arthur Hodges worked in the colliery until his death in 1920. He died aged 38 from a lung disease undoubtedly linked to his work as a coal hewer. My father was the eldest son of 7 children, his name was Arthur George Hodges and was a very patriotic Welshman.

At the time of my Grandfather's death, the family were living in Ivy Cottage, Lower Pontnewydd (between Edlogan Way & Conway Terrace & now demolished)

Indeed the family lived there until the 1950s. I wonder iif anyone might recall my father or the family in general. I remember on a visit to Cwmbran, my Uncle Reg Harris showed me where the colliery entrance was, I imagine that there was more than one. Please click here to email me.

Henllys Colliery

This level was owned in 1878 by Hill & Co and managed in 1878 and 1888 by E.S. Jones. In 1896 it was owned by the Patent Nut & Bolt who employed 51 men underground and 16 men working on the surface of the mine. It worked the Black Vein (Nine Feet) coal seam and clay.

In 1908 a total of 1218 men were employed at the Cwmbran, Henllys and the Fire clay collieries, under the ownership of G.K.N. (Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds).
In 1908 the Henllys and Fire clay level of Upper Cwmbran, employed 1,032 men
In 1927 production ceased and the collieries closed.
Official date of Statutory Abandonment was the 7th July, 1928.
Cause of Abandonment - Unremunerative.
Following dismantling of the machinery at the colliery it was subsequently auctioned off to the value of £205,940.00
GKN (Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds) was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

... A section of pathway that follows the original line of the Incline Tramway from Henllys Colliery to the canal at Two Locks, Old Cwmbran ...

.. Photographed opposite the Mill Tavern Public House, Coed Eva ..


`Henllys Chairs`	`Henllys Chairs` (Profile)

Lawrence Skuse (contributer) relates: The Henllys tramway "chairs" were found at two different parts of the Henllys Incline (one Lower, the other Upper). As you can see, one still has the bolt which attached it to the stone slab "sleeper", the other not. One is also slightly larger than the other; whether this is because they had slightly different loads due to differing steepness of the incline along its route, or just that from 1815-1927, different patterns were bought in over the period I can't say; the latter I suspect.

.. note from the webmaster ..

Whilst researching this information and `foraging about` I have located the site of Porthmawr Colliery - Level No.2 entrance. At one time a `Key` stone with the date inscribed 1837 could be seen in the arch entrance ... unfortunately this and other face stones have collapsed and are submerged.

I have located the ruins of two mine cottages, complete with `iron bedstead` adjacent Porthmawr Colliery - Level No.2.

I have located sections of tram rails.

I have located the Water Adit, Springvale.

.. Click on the photographs to enlarge ..

.. A few more photographs of Henllys Colliery can be viewed by clicking on the individual link ..

Upcast Mine Shaft * Quarry * Wire Hauser * Reservoir
All coloured photographs are copyright©cwmbran.info

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