History of the Gwent Collieries

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, …

Mr John. P. Swinburne M.E. Mr John Swinburne M.E. was the chief mechanical engineer for the Messrs J. Lancaster Co at Blaina. Born in 1837 at Durham, England, In about 1867 Mr John Swinburne married Isabella from Easington, County Durham. Their children were – Miss Mary Swinburne, born in 1867 at Durham. Miss Elizabeth Swinburne, born 1872 at Yorkshire and …

The Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway Flight. In 1909 the Powell’s Tillery Company erected the flight from the Vivian Colliery up to the summit of the Arael Mountain. It was constructed by Messrs R. White & Sons, engineers of Widnes. It was completed, tested and opened in June 1909. It was built to take the waste from the colliery up to …

Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway Map. A map of the route of the aerial ropeway from the colliery to the top of the Arael Mountain. The Powell’s Tillery Company started tipping waste on the top of Arael Mountain at Cefn Bach in June 1909. Later the Lancaster Co constructed their own ropeway to tip their waste from the Arael Griffin Colliery …

Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway Engine House and Filling Station. The image shows the front of the engine house and filling station with an operator releasing the full buckets and watching the empties return. In the background are the houses of Upper Arrail Street, Six Bells.

Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway Engine House and Filling Station. The image shows a close-up view of the back of engine house and filling station.

Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway Engine House and Filling Station. The image shows the aerial ropeway engine house, filling station and bunker at the back of the original waste tip by the side of the River Ebbw. The original waste tip had caught fire in 1892-93  The Vivian Tip Fire. The original waste tip had caught fire in 1892 and the …

Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway and Arrail Street. This image shows the aerial ropeway crossing the River Ebbw just north of Upper Arrail Street. The photographer was stood on what is now known as the “Turkey Trot”. The path also follows the river to the old gas works whereas now it goes up over at an angle from the river to …

Vivian Colliery Aerial Ropeway Standard. The image shows one of the standards halfway up the aerial ropeway route. It shows the tipped-over empty buckets returning and the upright full one ascending. There were 12 of these standards along the route.