General History

Cwmtillery Colliery Feeder – Cwmtillery Lake. The Cwmtillery Lake was man-made as a colliery feeder and constructed by one of the Cwmtillery Colliery owners, more than probably Mr Thomas Brown or Mr John Russell. Over the years the feeder has changed shape and size owing to the fact that the colliery and level waste tips that built up around the …

The Day the Navy Came to Abertillery – The 1921 Miners Lock-Out.  Late 1920, early 1921, the collieries in the United Kingdom were still under state control following the Great War, the post war boom in coal exports was over and demand for coal was waning, thousands of miners were to lose their jobs and massive pay cuts were to follow, …

Penybont Bridge. The need for a bridge at Penybont was first discussed in 1889, originally there was a level crossing connecting the New Bridgend Hotel and the Old Bridgend Inn at Old Penybont Road, though as the railway traffic was increasing in the Cwmtillery valley this crossing was becoming extremely dangerous. Pressure was put on the local board to construct …

Nantyglo House. In the early years of the iron & coal industry at Nantyglo it was thought that Messrs Joseph and Crawshay Bailey had the round houses or towers built, I have searched for a construction date and a reason for them but can’t find information. The consensus was that they were built between 1810 and 1822 to possibly protect …

Nantyglo Iron and Coal Works History. I understand a lot of books, other articles and web pages have been written on the exploits of the Bailey Brothers and the alleged tyranny of Mr Crawshay Bailey, though this is just a brief non-judgemental timeline with a few previously unknown, details on Crawshay and Joseph Bailey and their life and times at …

Mr Thomas Brown and the Monmouthshire Hills Iron Masters. The Monmouthshire Hills Iron Masters. The image shows the signatures and official seals of the Monmouthshire Hills Iron Masters. They are on a legal document from 1860 for the purchase of land at Ebbw Vale by the Ebbw Vale Company to which the signatories are the directors. The signatories are – …