Lady Windsor Colliery
Encyclopedia
Lady Windsor Colliery was a coal mine located in the village of Ynysybwl
in South Wales
. Opened in 1884, it closed in 1988, 104 years later.
began test bores in the early 1880s at Graigddu (English - Black Rock), which proved positive. Colliery development began in 1884 by Plymouth Estates, later to become the Ocean Coal Company, with many of the early workers from Davies home village of Llandinam
, Montgomeryshire
. The shafts Nos.1 and 2 each 689 yards deep, with the first coal produced in 1886.
As with most coal mining
areas in the South Wales Coalfield
, a local community immediately sprang up around the colliery at Ynysybwl. 300 houses were built in typical South Wales Valleys
terraced fashion by the mine owners in order to house workers and their families, with most built on the opposing (Western) side of the valley.
and Cunard Line
. This spurred Davies purchase of the rival Harris-owned Deep Navigation Colliery
in 1893, which from 1914 for a period provided electricity supply to Lady Windsor.
During its peak period the colliery employed around 1500 people directly although most of the 6000-7000 village community relied upon the pit in one way or another. In 1935 the colliery was employing 142 men on the surface and 949 underground. In 1931, Lady Windsor was among the first collieries in Wales to provide a pithead baths and first aid/medical treatment room, with the residents of the village were also allowed to use the baths for a small fee (3d to 6d). In 1935 the colliery was employing 142 men on the surface and 949 underground.
Post World War II
, nationalisation took place on 1 January 1947, but the returning miners wanted better conditions, and many choose to commute to work at the newly developed Treforest Trading Estate. In part filled by displaced and stateless Europe
ans, even special allowances did not fulfil the labour needs of the mines.
By 1956 The Lady Windsor was in need of deeper exploitation with almost all the reserves in the Upper Seams being exhausted. With closed pits from County Durham
providing an influx of labour, during 1964 a £4 million reorganisation put in a new pit bottom area, trunk conveyors and a diesel loco haulage system.
In March 1975 it was linked underground via two parallel tunnels with Abercynon Colliery
, which was situated on the other side of the mountain, to form a single production unit at a cost of £450,000. Coal was raised at the Lady Windsor end of the unit from a depth of 687 yards, with 1,150 men were producing 318,000 tons yearly from Six feet, Lower Nine feet and Seven feet seams.
By 1981 manpower deployment broke down to 216 on development, 292 on the coalface, 342 underground and 305 on the surface.
The Lady Windsor/Abercynon unit was closed by British Coal
in February 1988, with an estimated 25 years of workable coal left.
financed and operated the Ynysybwl railway, a branch line of its Llancaiach Branch
, which joined to the mainline to Cardiff at Stormstown Junction just south of Abercynon
. Opening a year after that of the Lady Windsor Colliery, the last passenger train from Ynysybwl Halt to Pontypridd was in 1953. On closure of the mine, the tracks were lifted back to Stormstown Junction, which itself was only removed in 2006, when colour light signals replaced semaphores on the mainline.
Ynysybwl
Ynysybwl is a village in Cwm Clydach in Wales. It is situated in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, roughly north-north-east of Cardiff, north of Pontypridd and south of Merthyr Tydfil, and forms part of the community of Ynysybwl and Coed-y-cwm....
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Opened in 1884, it closed in 1988, 104 years later.
Development
David DaviesDavid Davies (industrialist)
David Davies was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1874 and 1886. Davies was often known as David Davies Llandinam , in order to differentiate him from others of the same name.Davies was the son of David Davies and his wife Elizabeth...
began test bores in the early 1880s at Graigddu (English - Black Rock), which proved positive. Colliery development began in 1884 by Plymouth Estates, later to become the Ocean Coal Company, with many of the early workers from Davies home village of Llandinam
Llandinam
Llandinam is village in Powys, central Wales, between Newtown and Llanidloes, located on the A470.Llandinam was the family home of David Davies who was responsible for much of the development of the South Wales Valleys and the export of coal in the 19th century...
, Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
. The shafts Nos.1 and 2 each 689 yards deep, with the first coal produced in 1886.
As with most coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
areas in the South Wales Coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, a local community immediately sprang up around the colliery at Ynysybwl. 300 houses were built in typical South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
terraced fashion by the mine owners in order to house workers and their families, with most built on the opposing (Western) side of the valley.
Production
The high grade of coal produced was ideal for maritime uses, and was hence bought by various shipping concerns including the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
. This spurred Davies purchase of the rival Harris-owned Deep Navigation Colliery
Deep Navigation Colliery
Deep Navigation Colliery was a coal mine in South Wales, that operated from 1872 until 1991.Located next to the co-developed village of Treharris in the borough of Merthyr Tydfil, on development it was the deepest coalmine in South Wales Coalfield by some...
in 1893, which from 1914 for a period provided electricity supply to Lady Windsor.
During its peak period the colliery employed around 1500 people directly although most of the 6000-7000 village community relied upon the pit in one way or another. In 1935 the colliery was employing 142 men on the surface and 949 underground. In 1931, Lady Windsor was among the first collieries in Wales to provide a pithead baths and first aid/medical treatment room, with the residents of the village were also allowed to use the baths for a small fee (3d to 6d). In 1935 the colliery was employing 142 men on the surface and 949 underground.
Post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, nationalisation took place on 1 January 1947, but the returning miners wanted better conditions, and many choose to commute to work at the newly developed Treforest Trading Estate. In part filled by displaced and stateless Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans, even special allowances did not fulfil the labour needs of the mines.
By 1956 The Lady Windsor was in need of deeper exploitation with almost all the reserves in the Upper Seams being exhausted. With closed pits from County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
providing an influx of labour, during 1964 a £4 million reorganisation put in a new pit bottom area, trunk conveyors and a diesel loco haulage system.
In March 1975 it was linked underground via two parallel tunnels with Abercynon Colliery
Abercynon Colliery
Abercynon Colliery was a coal mine located in Abercynon, South Wales. Opened in 1889, it closed in 1988.-Development:The colliery was developed at a cost of £270,000 from 1889, by the Dowlais Iron Company, to feed a new steel works in Cardiff...
, which was situated on the other side of the mountain, to form a single production unit at a cost of £450,000. Coal was raised at the Lady Windsor end of the unit from a depth of 687 yards, with 1,150 men were producing 318,000 tons yearly from Six feet, Lower Nine feet and Seven feet seams.
By 1981 manpower deployment broke down to 216 on development, 292 on the coalface, 342 underground and 305 on the surface.
Closure
The Lady Windsor Lodge assumed a leading role in the 1985/86 UK Miner's Strike, but on return to work the unit managed an impressive recovery obtaining 98% of expected output within a month.The Lady Windsor/Abercynon unit was closed by British Coal
British Coal
thumb|right|British Coal company logoThe British Coal Corporation was a nationalised corporation in the United Kingdom responsible for the extraction of coal...
in February 1988, with an estimated 25 years of workable coal left.
Transport
The Taff Vale RailwayTaff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
financed and operated the Ynysybwl railway, a branch line of its Llancaiach Branch
Llancaiach Branch
The Llancaiach Branch was a railway branch line in South Wales. Financed and operated by the Taff Vale Railway, on amalgamation became part of the Great Western Railway in 1923...
, which joined to the mainline to Cardiff at Stormstown Junction just south of Abercynon
Abercynon
Abercynon is a small village in the Cynon Valley in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The unitary authority is now known as Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is composed of the village of Abercynon itself,Carnetown,Glancynon,Park View and Pontcynon. However, in recent years the sign to show motorists they are entering...
. Opening a year after that of the Lady Windsor Colliery, the last passenger train from Ynysybwl Halt to Pontypridd was in 1953. On closure of the mine, the tracks were lifted back to Stormstown Junction, which itself was only removed in 2006, when colour light signals replaced semaphores on the mainline.