MineArchiveGlynfach Colliery
| Location | Glynfach, Cymmer, Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf — 51.6090, -3.4029 (exact) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1851–1882 |
| Maximum depth | Unknown. |
| Operators | Morris Brothers (1870–1881) |
Overview
A small pit at Glynfach, Cymmer, near Porth, sunk in 1851 to the No. 1 and No. 2 Rhondda seams, which changed hands several times before its last owners, the Morris brothers, failed in 1881; it closed in 1882.
History
Glynfach Colliery was sunk in 1851 by Isaac Williams, a few hundred yards west of Llwyncelyn, to work the No. 1 and No. 2 Rhondda seams. A collier was killed there by a fall of roof in April 1857, when the colliery was returned under Curtis and Company; in 1858 Greenhill and Company owned it.
In 1870 it was sold to the Morris brothers, John and David, of Glynfach and Trebanog, who worked this small mine with about fifty men. In April 1880 their manager, Jabez Watkins, was fined for three breaches of the Mines Regulation Act, one of them brushing out a build-up of gas with his coat. In January 1881 the brothers' creditors were called to a meeting under the Bankruptcy Act, and the colliery was closed in 1882 by F. P. Down.
The district of Glynfach, part of Cymmer in Porth, keeps the colliery's name.
Geology
Coal Measures of the Rhondda: the No. 1 and No. 2 Rhondda seams.
Workings
A pit and a No. 1 level, recorded on plans with the neighbouring Cymmer workings.
Closure
Closed in 1882, after its owners' liquidation proceedings of 1881.
What remains
Unknown.
Redevelopment
Unknown.
Related mines
- Llwyncelyn Colliery — Neighbouring pits a few hundred yards apart at Porth, described together by Welsh Coal Mines.
Nearby mines
- Cymmer Colliery — 0.2 miles (0.4 km) NW
- Llwyncelyn Colliery — 0.3 miles (0.5 km) E
- Tymawr Colliery — 0.6 miles (0.9 km) E
- Tynewydd Colliery, Porth — 0.6 miles (0.9 km) NW
- Lewis Merthyr Colliery — 0.6 miles (1.0 km) E
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (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.
- Glynfach Colliery was sunk in 1851. 1,2
- It was sunk by Isaac Williams to work the No. 1 and No. 2 Rhondda seams. 1,3
- On 20 April 1857 a collier, Joseph Williams, was killed by a fall of roof at Glynfach, returned under Curtis and Company. 4
- Greenhill and Company owned it in 1858, and it was sold to the Morris brothers in 1870, who worked it until 1881. 1
- In April 1880 the manager, Jabez Watkins, was fined for three breaches of the Mines Regulation Act, one of them brushing out gas with his coat. 1
- The colliery was closed in 1882. 1
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Llwyncelyn Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Glynfach — Wikipedia
- (primary) BGS mine plans: Cymmer, Glynfach, No 1 Level, No 1 and No 2 Rhondda seams — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
- (secondary) 1850s W: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026