Lower Deep Colliery

Overview

A Blaina pit in the Ebbw Fach valley, one of the Nantyglo and Blaina Company's ironworks pits and later John Lancaster and Company's, working the Old Coal with over 500 men in the 1890s. It closed on 1 September 1923, its coal then drawn through Beynon's Colliery, and was kept for pumping.

History

The Lower Deep was one of the Blaina Company's mines early in the nineteenth century, and by 1867 belonged to the Nantyglo and Blaina Company, feeding its works mainly with ironstone. It was one of several pits on the Cwm Celyn estate, worked with water-balance pits such as the Globe and Three-Quarter pits and the Bottle Pit, its upcast. Its elliptical shaft, 16 feet 9 inches by 10 feet 6 inches, was 192 yards deep. Welsh Coal Mines dates its opening to 1860.

The Nantyglo and Blaina Company closed it in 1877, but in 1878 John Lancaster and Company of Wigan bought the company's holdings. Managed by J. Williams, it produced 161,311 tons in 1889, and in 1896 employed 504 men underground and 54 on the surface in the Old Coal seam. In 1880 someone released the brakes on coal wagons, which crashed into others outside the offices. Many Lower Deep miners enlisted in the First World War; by 1918 the workforce was 1,417.

In 1920 the mining engineer Jenkyn Williams proposed a new shaft at Blaina to win the coal of the Lower Deep, Henwaun and North Blaina. The Lower Deep closed on 1 September 1923 and its coal was thereafter drawn through Beynon's Colliery; the shaft was kept for pumping, and the NCB listed it with Beynon and North Blaina in 1947. A National Museum photograph of 1972 looks over Blaina from behind its headgear.

Geology

The Old Coal seam (60 inches) was the main working; the Three-Quarter, Elled, Lower Black Vein and Big Vein coals and the Black Pins, Red and Soap Vein ironstones were worked from the pits of the group.

Workings

An elliptical shaft 192 yards deep, with water-balance and ironstone pits of the Cwm Celyn estate around it; later kept as a pumping shaft for Beynon's Colliery, with the Upper Deep as upcast.

Closure

Closed by the Nantyglo and Blaina Company in 1877 and reopened by John Lancaster and Company; closed on 1 September 1923, when its coal was taken through Beynon's, and kept for pumping.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Beynon Colliery — Beynon's was sunk to win the Lower Deep's coal; from September 1923 that coal was drawn through Beynon's, the Lower Deep serving as its pumping shaft.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• It was opened in 1860 by Lancaster's Steam Coal Collieries Ltd. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• In 1878 the Nantyglo and Blaina Company's holdings were bought by John Lancaster and Company of Wigan. ^1,2
• In 1896 it employed 504 men underground and 54 on the surface working the Old Coal seam. ^1,2
• The Lower Deep shaft was elliptical, 16 feet 9 inches by 10 feet 6 inches, and 192 yards deep. ^1,3
• The Lower Deep pit closed on 1 September 1923 and its coal was worked through Beynon's Colliery. ^3,2
• It was opened in 1860 by Lancaster's Steam Coal Collieries Ltd. (disputed) ²
• A National Museum of Wales photograph of July 1972 shows Blaina from behind the Lower Deep Colliery headgear. ⁴
• A printed daily return of output and deliveries at Lower Deep Pit, Blaina, is dated 22 May 1880. ⁵

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) NMRS: Lower Deep Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Lower Deep Pit, Blaina — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (secondary) NMRS: Beynon Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (secondary) Museum Wales: Lower Deep Colliery, slide (2017.6/1423) — Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales
5. (secondary) Museum Wales: Daily return of output and deliveries, Lower Deep Pit, Blaina, 22 May 1880 (85.173I/29) — Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales

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