Oakwood Colliery explosion, 1872

Just before midnight on Wednesday 10 January 1872 the whole Llynfi valley was shaken by an explosion at Oakwood Colliery near Maesteg. Only eleven men were underground, most of them repairers on the night shift, and all eleven were killed along with six horses. An unlocked lamp was found beside the body of John Lloyd; at the inquest a collier said he had left his work because Caleb Davies meant to fire a shot where gas was known to be, and the jury returned an open verdict on the cause.

Date	10 January 1872
Mine	Oakwood Colliery
Region	Bridgend
Type	Explosion
Fatalities	11 (Eleven, all named, and six horses. The rolls differ on one man: Welsh Coal Mines gives Daniel Jones, 36, where NMRS has David Jones, 26, a flueman, married with three children. NMRS also gives ages that differ by a year or two from the Welsh Coal Mines list for two of the others.)
Injuries	None: every man underground was killed.
Context	During active mining

Cause

An explosion of gas. An unlocked lamp lay near one of the bodies, and evidence was given of an intention to fire a shot where gas was known; the inquest reached no conclusion on the cause.

Contributing factors

The mine was ventilated by a furnace at the bottom of the upcast shaft, capable of passing about 161,460 cubic feet of air a minute. The body of John Lloyd was found with an unlocked lamp nearby.

What happened

Oakwood, also called Maesteg Merthyr and known locally as Pwll Davis after the chairman, had been opened in the 1860s by William Davis of Bridgend on the site of a level previously worked by Charles Sheppard of Bath. It worked the Upper Four Foot, the Truro and the Six Feet, with two shafts and about a hundred and fifty men on the day shift and an output of some hundred and sixty tons a day; Charles P. Davies was senior partner. The explosion was heard for miles and exploring parties went down quickly. The blast had swept through the workings but had not destroyed much: eleven men and six horses were dead. Charles P. Davies went to the pit himself and led the exploring parties. As the bodies came up they were taken to the lamproom and put into hastily made coffins, and later carried to their homes by their relatives in hand-carts.

Rescue & recovery

The destruction was not great and the bodies were recovered quickly. There were no survivors underground to rescue: everyone on the night shift died.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest was held at the Oddfellows Arms. Rees Haycock gave evidence that he had left his work because Caleb Davies intended to fire a shot in a place where gas was known to be. The jury returned an open verdict on the cause of the explosion.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

Unknown.

Memorials & commemoration

Unknown.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

Welsh Coal Mines dates the explosion just before midnight on Wednesday 10 January 1872; NMRS dates it 11 January. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

Welsh Coal Mines dates the explosion just before midnight on Wednesday 10 January 1872; NMRS dates it 11 January. (disputed) ^1,2
Eleven men and six horses were killed - everyone underground on the night shift, most of them repairers. ^1,2
The body of John Lloyd was found with an unlocked lamp nearby. ²

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…1872 the whole Llynfi valley was shaken by an explosion at Oakwood Colliery near Maesteg. Only eleven men were underground, most of them…”
Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s contributing factors: “The mine was ventilated by a furnace at the bottom of the upcast shaft, capable of passing about 161,460 cubic feet of air a minute. The…”
Level (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…opened in the 1860s by William Davis of Bridgend on the site of a level previously worked by Charles Sheppard of Bath. It worked the Upper…”
Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…It worked the Upper Four Foot, the Truro and the Six Feet, with two shafts and about a hundred and fifty men on the day shift and an output of…”

Sources

(secondary) Oakwood Colliery, Maesteg — Welsh Coal Mines
(secondary) Oakwood Colliery Explosion - Maesteg - 1872 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 19 September 2026 · Last researched: 20 September 2026