Glengarw Colliery

Overview

A slant, levels and pits at Blaengarw, known locally as the Ballarat, worked by Glenavon Garw Collieries from the 1890s or 1900s for house and steam coal; at its height it employed over 600 men, and the National Coal Board closed it as uneconomic in November 1959.

History

Glengarw Colliery stood at Blaengarw at the head of the Garw valley and was served by the Great Western Railway's Garw branch; it was commonly called the Ballarat. It began as a slant and pit of Glenavon Garw Collieries Limited, opened in the 1890s by one account and sunk in 1903 by another. Levels in the Victoria and Yard seams opened in 1908, the Caedefaid drift in 1910, an upcast pit in 1912 and No. 3 Pit in 1913. Its main seam was the Caedefaid, where the Gorllwyn and Gorllwyn Rider seams merge into one 48 inches thick with 13 inches of dirt bands; it also worked the Upper Yard at 38 inches and the Pentre Rider, called here the Victoria seam, at 35 inches.

The colliery employed 196 men in 1908 and 391 in 1913, producing house and steam coal, when it was one of the company's six collieries with 1,206 men between them. It had 540 men in 1918 and 662 in 1934, when the company employed 3,340 and raised 850,000 tons a year. By 1943-45 the firm was Glenavon Garw Collieries (Ocean) Limited and Glengarw employed 435 in the Victoria, Yard and Caedefaid seams; the Caedefaid workings at Glengarw and Nanthir were abandoned in August 1951 and the Upper Yard in March 1952. Under the National Coal Board it was in the No. 2 Area's Garw Group, with 436 men in 1947, and in 1954-55 it was one of 42 collieries whose accident rates concerned both the NUM and the Board. By 1957 only one of its workforce was under eighteen. It was closed on 6 November 1959 as uneconomic to work.

Geology

South Wales Coalfield: the Caedefaid (the merged Gorllwyn and Gorllwyn Rider), Upper Yard and Victoria (Pentre Rider) seams.

Workings

A slant and pit, with Victoria and Yard seam levels (1908), the Caedefaid drift (1910), an upcast pit (1912) and No. 3 Pit (1913).

Closure

Closed by the National Coal Board on 6 November 1959 as uneconomic to work; its Caedefaid and Upper Yard workings had been abandoned in 1951 and 1952.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• International Colliery — Neighbouring Blaengarw collieries at the head of the Garw valley.

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 slant and pit owned by Glenavon Garw Collieries Limited, opened during the 1890s. (disputed) ¹
• Glenafon Colliery, also known as Glengarw or the Ballarat, was sunk in 1903. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• A slant and pit owned by Glenavon Garw Collieries Limited, opened during the 1890s. (disputed) ¹
• Glenafon Colliery, also known as Glengarw or the Ballarat, was sunk in 1903. (disputed) ²
• The Victoria and Yard seam levels opened in 1908, the Caedefaid drift in 1910, the upcast pit in 1912 and No. 3 Pit in 1913. ¹
• It employed 562 men underground and 100 on the surface in 1934. ¹
• The Caedefaid workings of Glengarw and Nanthir were abandoned on 24 August 1951 and the Upper Yard on 29 March 1952. ^3,4
• Closed by the National Coal Board on 6 November 1959 as uneconomic to work. ^1,2

Sources

1. (secondary) Glengarw Colliery, Blaengarw — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) The Garw Valley Collieries — Digging up the Past
3. (primary) BGS mine plan: Glengarw, Nanthir, Upper Yard seam (abandoned 29 March 1952) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
4. (primary) BGS mine plan: Glengarw, Nanthir, Caedefaid seam (abandoned 24 August 1951) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026