Brynamman Colliery

Overview

An anthracite drift at Brynamman, first worked in the 1840s beside the Glynbeudy tinplate works, that became a 600-man colliery in the 1920s under Pwllbach, Tirbach and Brynamman Anthracite and later Henderson's. In 1933 water broke into one of its slants and two colliers led four men and seven boys to safety, one of them later holding the George Cross. The last seams were abandoned in 1950.

History

The drift was working in the 1840s as Brynamman Works, next to the Glynbeudy tinplate works, and the railway was extended to Brynamman in 1846 partly to carry its coal. Llewellyn and Sons owned it in 1854-58 and Francis and Strick in 1859-70, after which it appears to have closed. The Brynamman Coal Company opened a new entrance in 1894; NMRS suggests it may then have become Ynysdawella, worked by the Rees family in the Middle Vein. Edward Lange leased it in 1900 and abandoned it in 1905, and it reappeared as Ynysamman under the Ynys Amman Colliery Company from 1909 until 1914. Brynamman Colliery Limited owned it in 1918, and by 1921 the Pwllbach, Tirbach and Brynamman Anthracite Collieries employed 600 men here under W. Samuel. Manpower was 530 in 1926. By 1930 it belonged to Henderson's Welsh Anthracite Collieries, which in 1934 employed 365 men underground and 63 at the surface here in the Red Vein and Peacock seams, with the colliery's own washery. On 21 September 1933 water broke into one of its slants, trapping groups of men and boys; Thomas Thomas and Daff Davies brought them out (see Disasters, below). The Lower and Little Brass veins were abandoned in 1934, the Middle Vein and Brynlloi in 1935, and the Big, Black, Peacock and Trigloyn seams in 1950. The colliery was not worked by the National Coal Board.

Geology

Anthracite from the Red Vein and Peacock seams in the 1930s; also the Lower, Little Brass, Middle, Brynlloi, Big, Black and Trigloyn seams.

Geological setting: Sedimentary Beds and Seams (historical documentary reference)

Workings

A drift mine with several slants, including the Brass Vein (or Brass) Slant, and its own coal preparation plant (washery).

Closure

The first working appears to have closed after 1870. The 1894 entrance was abandoned in 1905 and, as Ynysamman, closed in 1914. The 20th-century colliery abandoned its seams in stages from 1934, the last in 1950; no reason is given, and it was not worked by the NCB.

What remains

Unknown.

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Cwmllynfell Colliery — Both owned by Henderson's Welsh Anthracite Collieries in the 1930s.
• Tirbach Colliery — Both owned by the Pwllbach, Tirbach and Brynamman Anthracite Collieries Company and then Henderson's Welsh Anthracite.

Nearby mines

• Noyadd Colliery — 0.6 km SW
• Ynysamman Colliery — 0.9 km NE
• Cwmteg Colliery — 1.8 km E, Neath Port Talbot
• Garnant Colliery — 2.0 km SW
• Gwaun Cae Gurwen Colliery — 2.0 km S, Neath Port Talbot

Straight-line distance, within 15 km. Show on the map.

Disasters & major incidents

• Brynamman Colliery Inrush, 1933
  21 September 1933 · Flooding / Inundation · 0 fatalities
  Water broke into a slant at Brynamman Colliery, trapping miners in the dark and flooding the roadway out. Two colliers, Thomas Thomas and Daff Davies, led four men and seven boys aged fourteen to sixteen to safety, Thomas going back for a group still trapped and coming out last. He received the Edward Medal, later exchanged for the George Cross.

Recorded claims

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

• Brynamman Works drift was working in the 1840s beside the Glynbeudy tinplate works; Llewellyn and Sons owned it 1854-58 and Francis and Strick 1859-70. ¹
• The Llanelly railway was extended from Garnant to Brynamman in 1846 to carry coal from Brynamman Colliery and iron from the Amman Iron Works. ²
• After a new entrance in 1894 it may have become Ynysdawella; leased to Edward Lange 1900-05; worked as Ynysamman by the Ynys Amman Colliery Co 1909-14. (uncertain) ¹
• In 1921 the Pwllbach, Tirbach and Brynamman Anthracite Collieries employed 600 men here; in 1930 and 1934 Henderson's employed 365 underground and 63 surface in the Red Vein and Peacock seams. ¹
• On 21 September 1933 water broke into the colliery; Thomas Thomas received the Edward Medal (bronze) for the rescue. ^3,4,5
• It abandoned the Lower and Little Brass veins in 1934, the Middle Vein and Brynlloi in 1935, and the Big, Black, Peacock and Trigloyn seams in 1950; it was not worked by the NCB. ¹
• Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan SWR1531, 'Brynamman Drifts', is dated to abandonment in 1934. ⁶

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Brynamman Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Time Line (Pontardawe and Swansea Valley history) — People's Collection Wales / Casgliad y Werin Cymru
3. (secondary) Edward Medal Recipients — Mines Rescue History
4. (primary) Edward Medal awards (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
5. (secondary) Medals — Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
6. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plans: BRYNAMMAN DRIFTS — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 16 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026