Bryn Navigation Colliery

Overview

A colliery at Bryn, about a mile west of Maesteg, sunk from about 1896 with a 380-yard shaft and a long slant, later Baldwins' and then the National Coal Board's. It employed over 800 men in the late 1920s and 1930s, was one of the first in South Wales to try water infusion against dust, and closed in 1964.

History

The Bryn Navigation Collieries Company of Port Talbot began the colliery at Bryn, about a mile west of Maesteg, in about 1896, with one shaft to the Yard seam at 380 yards and a 700-yard slant to the Two-Feet-Nine. In 1896 it employed 14 men underground and 6 on the surface opening the mine, under F. E. Jacob. Its take of 1,424 acres was half dogged by poor ground. It was later worked by Baldwins Limited, incorporated in 1902, and employed 380 men in 1908 and 300 in 1913, producing manufacturing and steam coal. Two brothers were killed by a fall of roof in 1918 (see Disasters, below).

On 7 August 1930 a new 1,232-yard slant, intersecting all the workable seams, was opened from the surface, and manpower rose to about 850 in 1932-34. It was one of the first South Wales collieries to try water infusion at the face against dust, in the 60-inch Middle Vein on the No. 10 conveyor.

The National Coal Board took it over in 1947 with about 650 men. In April 1956 two men were killed under one fall of roof (see Disasters, below). The NCB sanctioned closure on 1 April 1963, production ended on 7 June and closure was completed on 18 December 1964, leaving 250,000 tons unworked. Of the men, 218 went to Glyncorrwg Colliery.

Geology

Steam and manufacturing coals worked under local names: the Gellideg as the Lower Vein, the Upper Five Feet as the Middle Vein, the Lower Seven Feet as the Little Vein, the Bute as the No. 3, the Lower Nine Feet as the No. 2, the Four Feet, and the Two-Feet-Nine as the Finery. Half the 1,424-acre take was in poor geological conditions.

Workings

One shaft to the Yard seam at 380 yards and a 700-yard slant to the Two-Feet-Nine; from 1930 a 1,232-yard slant from the surface through all the workable seams, drawing 15 tons a journey. Conveyor faces; water infusion tried on the No. 10 conveyor face.

Closure

Closure sanctioned on 1 April 1963; production ceased on 7 June 1963 and closure was completed on 18 December 1964, with 250,000 tons of reserves abandoned. 218 men transferred to Glyncorrwg, 32 to other collieries; the site was sold to Afan Borough Council.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

The colliery site was sold to Afan Borough Council.

Related mines

• Aberbaiden Colliery — Both Baldwins collieries; in 1934 their production was returned together at 500,000 tons.

Disasters & major incidents

• Bryn Navigation Colliery roof fall, 1918
  5 April 1918 · Collapse / Roof Fall · 2 fatalities
  Two brothers from Cwmavon, David John and Jonathan Stephens, were killed by a fall of roof while working in the same stall at the Bryn Navigation Colliery on Friday 5 April 1918. They were completely buried and their bodies were recovered some hours later.
• Bryn Navigation Colliery roof fall, 1956
  April 1956 · Collapse / Roof Fall · 2 fatalities
  In April 1956 Arthur Wanklyn and David Davies were killed under the same fall of roof at the National Coal Board's Bryn Navigation Colliery near Maesteg; it took four hours to reach them.

Recorded claims

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

• Sunk in the mid 1890s by the Bryn Navigation Collieries Company with one shaft to the Yard seam at 380 yards and a 700-yard slant. ^1,2
• On 7 August 1930 a new 1,232-yard slant intersecting all the workable seams was opened from the surface. ^1,2
• It was one of the first collieries in South Wales to experiment with water infusion on the coalface against dust. ^1,2
• Production ceased on 7 June 1963 and closure was completed on 18 December 1964. ^1,2
• An abandonment plan of Bryn Navigation's Middle seam workings is dated 1947. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) NMRS: Bryn Navigation Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Bryn Navigation, Cefn-y-Bryn and Ton Hir collieries — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan: BRYN NAVIGATION (Middle seam, abandoned 1947) — British Geological Survey
4. (secondary) 1918 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines

Record created: 11 October 2026 · Last researched: 11 October 2026