Blaen Rhas Colliery

Overview

A Dowlais Iron Company level worked for coal and iron, closing earlier than most of the wider Dowlais Collieries group. A collier died here in a roof fall in 1875, in an account that may record this same pit under a slightly different name.

History

Blaen Rhas Colliery, at NGR 080081, was one of the many levels owned and worked by the Dowlais Iron Company to feed its works with both coal and iron. It abandoned the Brass seam in 1901, the Lower Four-Feet seam in 1908, and the top section of that same seam in 1917, when it probably closed as a production unit. A separate account of the wider Dowlais Collieries group instead describes Blaen Rhas as worked for coal and fireclay and closing earlier, in November 1901 — the two sources agree closely on an 1901 date even where they differ on exactly what closed then.

On 14 June 1875, J. Edwards, a 28-year-old collier, died in a roof fall "at Blaen Rhos" — very likely this same colliery under a slightly different spelling, though this has not been independently confirmed. The Mining Remediation Authority's abandonment plan 837, at two chains to the inch, covers Blaen Rhas with Banwain, Black Ball, Carno, Cwmcenol, Meadow, the Pant-y-waun and Penydarren pits and Tyla Dowlais, abandoned in 1878 in coal and ironstone seams from the Upper, Little and Lower Four Feet to the Spotted, Red, Blue, Lumpy and Rosser.

Geology

Worked the Brass seam (abandoned 1901) and the Lower Four-Feet seam (abandoned 1908, top section 1917), per one source; a second source instead describes it working coal and fireclay to a November 1901 closure.

Workings

A level worked for coal and iron ore.

Closure

Sources disagree: one gives a probable 1917 closure after working the Lower Four-Feet seam's top section; a second gives November 1901.

What's uncertain

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

• A separate account of the wider Dowlais Collieries group describes Blaen Rhas as worked for coal and fireclay, closing in November 1901. (disputed) ²
• J. Edwards, 28, a collier, died in a roof fall "at Blaen Rhos" on 14 June 1875 — very likely this colliery under a variant spelling. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

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

• Worked for coal and iron, abandoning the Brass seam in 1901, the Lower Four-Feet seam in 1908, and that seam's top section in 1917, when it probably closed. ¹
• A separate account of the wider Dowlais Collieries group describes Blaen Rhas as worked for coal and fireclay, closing in November 1901. (disputed) ²
• J. Edwards, 28, a collier, died in a roof fall "at Blaen Rhos" on 14 June 1875 — very likely this colliery under a variant spelling. (uncertain) ²
• Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan 837 covers Blaen Rhas among the Dowlais workings abandoned in 1878, in the seams coal and ironstone: black pin soap, three coals and clay, upper, little, lower four feet, spotted, red, blue, lumpy, rosser. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Small collieries of the Dowlais Cwmbargoed & Penydarren areas — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Dowlais Collieries — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) DOWLAIS, BANWAIN, BLACK BALL, BLAEN RHAS, CARNO, CWMCENOL, MEADOW, PENT-Y-WAIN NOS 1 & 2, PENRHEOL (PEN-YR- HEOL), PENYDARREN NOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, TYLA DOWLAIS (Mine Remediation Authority abandonment — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 15 September 2026 · Last researched: 24 September 2026