History of the Gwent Collieries

Beynons Colliery – Blaina In early 1920’s the collieries of Blaina that had been previously owned by the Messrs J. Lancaster Co had not mined coal west of the River Ebbw. The company needed a new mine capable of retrieving the coal from that side of the valley. Mr Jenkyn Williams. In 1920 Mr Jenkyn Williams M.E. submitted a scheme …

The Living Frog Found in a Block of Coal at Tyr Nicholas, Cwmtillery Colliery. This is a story from Monday 10th March 1862, of how miners at Ty Nicholas Colliery the Cwmtillery Colliery found a lump of coal below ground in the rock vein seam with a small hole in it. Sealed inside the hole was a living frog, as …

Henwain Colliery. An image of the Henwain Colliery, Blaina at a later date.

The Henwain Colliery Miners. An image showing some of the workers at the Henwain Colliery, Blaina, pictured by the headgear, 1900’s.

Henwain Colliery – Coal Train Loop Circuit 1900. A map showing the area of the Henwain Colliery, Blaina in 1900, also the layout of the old coal train loop circuit from the Lower Deep Colliery at East Pentwyn Blaina.   Points of interest – Railway Terrace, Colliers Row and Henwaun Row are now incorporated into Abertillery Road and Mount Pleasant …

Henwain Colliery – Coal Train Loop Circuit 1880. A map showing the area of Henwain Colliery, Blaina in 1880, also the layout of the old coal train loop circuit from the Lower Deep Colliery at East Pentwyn, Blaina.   Points of interest – The early street names different from today. Railway Terrace, Colliers Row, Henwaun Row and Mount Pleasant Row …

Henwain Colliery Blaina. The name of the colliery was Henwain (English) or Henwaun (Welsh – Old Moor). There were two shafts on the site of the colliery, one winding shaft, the other was a ventilation shaft. The colliery was located on the eastern side of the Blaina valley on Mynydd James between Blaina and Bournville. Opened by Messrs Crawshay and …

The South Griffin Colliery No2 and No3 Pits. The First Pit No2 South Griffin Colliery. In the early 1880’s the first pit was sunk at the South Griffin Colliery. On Friday 16th of November 1883, the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser printed the following report from the directors of the Nantyglo and Blaina Ironworks Company Limited – Messrs John …

South Griffin Colliery – List of Fatalities. This list of deaths at the South Griffin Colliery, Blaina, covers most of those reported in National and Local Newspapers. This page is fluid and will be updated as more information is received. 1885. Mr John Griffiths. Died – December 1885. Death caused by a fall of roof. Mr Griffiths lived in Brynmawr. …

The Feature Film “Things to Come” – Friday 24th of May 1935. Blaina’s Bloodless Revolution. The Film. The film “Things to Come” – Whither Mankind was being adapted for the screen under the personal supervision of Mr H. G. Wells, the film itself was based on his story “The Shape of Things to Come”. The producer was Mr Alexander Korda, …