Blaendare Colliery

Overview

A drift mine near Pontypool, shown on Prujean's map of 1843 and first worked for fireclay, later raising steam coal from the New Vein for the Blaendare Company. It employed 276 in 1918, was reopened by Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds after 1949, and was still sending out drams of coal in 1972.

History

Blaendare appears on John Prujean's map of the ironworks and collieries of Monmouthshire in 1843. It was a drift near Pontypool, first worked for fireclay, and by 1869 it belonged to the Blaendare Company Ltd. The Inspector of Mines listed it in 1896 with 86 men raising steam coal from the New Vein.

On 28 February 1901 masons walling a staple pit from the New Vein to the lower seams, working on staging a few yards from the top, were caught by an explosion of gas that had gathered under the scaffolding for want of ventilation; two were killed and three badly burned (see Disasters, below). The colliery grew to 204 men in 1908 and 276 in 1918, and still employed 139 in 1945.

It closed temporarily in 1949 and was reopened by Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds. Fireclay production ended in the late 1960s and for a few years the drift worked coal; a photographer recorded lines of full drams there in 1972. The site was later opencast.

Geology

The New Vein and lower seams of the eastern South Wales Coalfield, with fireclay.

Workings

A drift, with a staple pit sunk from the New Vein to the lower seams.

Closure

Closed temporarily in 1949 and reopened by Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds; fireclay ceased in the late 1960s and coal working ended a few years later.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

The site was later worked by opencast mining.

Disasters & major incidents

• Blaendare Colliery explosion, 1901
  28 February 1901 · Explosion · 2 fatalities
  Two masons walling an unventilated staple pit at Blaendare, near Pontypool, were killed on 28 February 1901 when gas under their staging fired at a naked light.

Recorded claims

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

• Blaendare is shown on John Prujean's map of ironworks and collieries in Monmouthshire of 1843, and was first worked for fireclay. ¹
• It was owned by the Blaendare Co. Ltd in 1869 and 1908. ¹
• In 1896 it employed 86 men producing steam coal from the New Vein. ¹
• In 1901 the Blaendare Co. Ltd's slope at Pontypool had a staple pit being walled from the New Vein to the lower seams. ²
• It employed 204 men in 1908, 276 in 1918 and 139 in 1945. ¹
• It closed temporarily in 1949 and was later reopened by G.K.N. ¹
• Blaendare Drift Mine was photographed in 1972 with lines of full coal drams. ³
• A joint plan survives of the Cwmlickey and Blaendare collieries in the Meadow Vein, Old Coal, Meadow Vein Mine and Bottom Vein Mine. ⁴

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Blaendare Drift, Pontypool — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) William Henry Roberts, mason, Blaendare Co. Ltd slope, Pontypool, 28 February 1901 (accident record) — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (observational) Blaendare Drift Mine, film negative (John Cornwell, 1972) — Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
4. (primary) CWMLICKEY AND BLAENDARE COLLIERIES, Meadow Vein, Old Coal, Meadow Vein Mine and Bottom Vein Mine: abandonment plan catalogue entry — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026