History of the Gwent Collieries

The Salvation Army Congress Hall Band of London – 1911. In June 1911 the Salvation Army Congress Band of London visited Risca and Abertillery, during their visit they performed pieces of musical works. Some of the members of the Congress Band were as follows – Captain H. Otway: Bandsmen, A. Dalziel; R. Lawley; Holmes; Goffin and Kyle: At Six Bells …

Lancaster’s Steam Coal Collieries Ltd Coal Consignment Note 1912. This consignment note is for the shipment of 220 tons of Russell’s New Black Vein “Large” Steam Coal shipped on board the S.S. Karnak from Barry Dock. Size 8″ x 10″ inches. Dated 16th of December 1912.

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – An image of the colliery with the original wooden headgear and flat winding rope, taken late 1890’s early 1900. In the distance (top left) are the waste tips from the Coed Cae Tillery Levels. The waste tips are now behind the top Arael View houses. The coal trucks entering the building (left) are …

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – The colliery taken from the  yard. The following batch of photographs of Rose Heyworth Colliery were taken by myself in the Autumn of 1985.

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – A view the miner had just before descending the shaft, or the first daylight scene he saw after ascending the shaft and reaching the bank. The photograph was taken from the cage looking at the winding house. Through the small gap in the winding house the winding drum and rope can be seen.

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – The Pithead Bank and the south cage showing the Banksman’s Cabin (left) on the upper deck. Between the time the two images were taken the winder had turned the pit and the north cage went down and the south cage came up. Also seen are the banksman’s controls (right) and on the ground …

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – The Pithead Bank and north cage on the upper deck. Also seen are the banksman’s controls (right) and on the ground is the compressed air loading ram, this ram pushed the loaded drams onto the cage, the dram would be kept secure on the cage by the scotches on the floor of the …

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – The Pithead Bank and north cage on the upper deck. Also seen are the banksman’s controls (right) and on the ground is the compressed air loading ram, this ram pushed the loaded drams onto the cage, the dram would be kept secure on the cage by the Scotches on the floor of the …

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – The Creeper at the Pithead Bank. The creeper was used to take the loaded drams of supplies to the upper deck of the bank to load onto the cage. The two different types of drams seen in the image are a flat-bed bogie for carrying machinery and the open ended dram with no …

Rose Heyworth Colliery. Rose Heyworth Colliery – The Headgear Framework. This headgear frame is commonly known as lattice framework. Originally the headgear at Rose Heyworth was made of wood, with iron wheels and a flat winding rope. The old wooden frame was replaced in the early 1900’s with the iron lattice work frame.