Duffryn Colliery, Brynmawr

Overview

A short-lived pit-and-slant mine at Brynmawr in the Ebbw Fach Valley, worked for house and steam coal from 1921. It produced 14,000 tons of coal a year at its 1930 peak before disappearing from the record by 1935.

History

Duffryn Colliery first appears in the record in 1921, owned by the Beaufort Yard Coal Company and producing house coal. Employment peaked early: 82 men in 1923, working the Old Coal and Meadow Vein seams for steam coal, falling to 30 men by 1924 and 21 by 1928. By 1929–30 it employed 17 men underground and 4 on the surface and was already listed as closed, though at that point it consisted of a pit and a slant, worked the Old Coal and Yard seams, and produced 14,000 tons of coal under manager T.G. Jones. By 1932 it had passed to the Duffryn Colliery Company, but had disappeared from the record entirely by 1935. The level was served by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny section.

Geology

Worked the Old Coal, Meadow Vein and Yard seams of the South Wales Coalfield.

Workings

A pit and slant working the Old Coal, Meadow Vein and Yard seams at different periods.

Closure

Recorded as closed already by 1929–30, though it continued to be worked and produce coal into the early 1930s under the Duffryn Colliery Company before disappearing from the record by 1935.

What remains

Unknown.

Nearby mines

• Clydach Colliery, Brynmawr — 1.5 km E
• Beaufort Iron Works — 1.8 km W
• Cinder Pit, Blaina — 2.4 km S
• Forge Colliery, Nantyglo — 2.4 km SE
• Garn Colliery, Nantyglo — 2.9 km SE

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

Recorded claims

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

• First recorded in 1921 under the Beaufort Yard Coal Company producing house coal; employment peaked at 82 men in 1923 working the Old Coal and Meadow Vein seams for steam coal. ^1,2
• Employment fell to 30 men by 1924 and 21 by 1928; by 1929–30, with 17 men underground and 4 on the surface, it was already listed as closed even though it was a working pit-and-slant producing 14,000 tons of coal from the Old Coal and Yard seams under manager T.G. Jones. ^1,2
• Passed to the Duffryn Colliery Company by 1932 and had disappeared from the record by 1935. ^1,2

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Coalbrook Vale — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Small Collieries of the Ebbw Valley — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 14 September 2026 · Last researched: 15 September 2026