New Lodge Colliery

Overview

A level at Burry Port worked from the early 1830s by Colonel Francis Pemberton and from 1857 for Mason and Elkington's copper works, later for coal and fireclay, and still at work for fireclay in 1945.

History

New Lodge Colliery was a level just east of Burry Port, below the New Lodge mansion on the road to Llanelli. Colonel Francis Pemberton, who lived at New Lodge, worked it from the early 1830s, driving into the Gwscwm seam; it was often called 'Level y Colonel', and there was a quay wall near the colliery.

In 1857 the copper smelters Mason and Elkington acquired and opened the level to supply their Pembrey copper works. The Gwscwm seam was worked extensively, with limited working of the Rhengog Fawr, and the Goodig mainly for the fireclay beneath it. Astley Thompson had it in 1865 and Thompson, Wise and Company until 1878, forming the New Lodge Colliery Company; Wise and Wood held it by 1880.

By 1896 the New Lodge Brickworks Company worked it for coal and clay for its brickworks, with fifteen men, pillar and stall, naked lights and furnace ventilation; 56 were employed in 1905. After an idle spell it was restarted by 1927 and worked with Crown Colliery, the two raising 100,000 tons with 290 men in 1930. The Gwscwm was abandoned in 1932; by 1945 the Pwll Coal and Brick Company worked it mainly for fireclay with five men.

Geology

The Gwscwm seam, with a section of 36 inches of top coal, 3 inches of dirt and 18 inches of bottom coal; the thin and dirt-banded Rhengog Fawr; and the Goodig, a 14-inch coal over 36 inches of fireclay.

Workings

A level into the Gwscwm seam, worked pillar and stall with naked lights and furnace ventilation in 1896.

Closure

The Gwscwm seam was abandoned in 1932, after which the mine lay idle for some years. It was worked mainly for fireclay in 1945; the final closure date is unknown.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Achddu Colliery — A joint BGS abandonment plan, ACHIDDU / NEW LODGE, covers the Gwscwm workings of both collieries.
• Crown Colliery — Both owned by Evan Davies and Company and worked together from about 1927 (300 men in 1927; 100,000 tons with 290 men in 1930).
• Cwm Capel Colliery — Bowser's Cwm Capel tramway joined Pemberton's New Lodge line to the harbour in 1831, and both collieries were reopened together under the Pwll Coal and Brick Company to supply the Pwll brickworks.

Recorded claims

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

• Colonel Francis Pemberton worked the level from the early 1830s, driving into the Gwscwm seam. ¹
• Mason and Elkington opened the level in 1857 to work the Gwscwm seam. ^2,1
• The colliery worked the Gwscwm, Rhengog Fawr and fireclay seams. ^2,3,4
• A plan of the Gwscwm workings is dated 1882. ³
• In 1930 New Lodge and Crown together raised 100,000 tons with 290 men. ²
• The colliery was owned by Evan Davies and Co. Ltd in 1932. ⁵

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) New Lodge and the early industrialists (Pembrey and Burry Port Heritage, Graham Davies, November 2025) — Pembrey and Burry Port Heritage
2. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: New Lodge colliery, Crown Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan: NEW LODGE, Gwscwm seam, abandoned 1882 — British Geological Survey
4. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan: NEW LODGE COLLIERY, Rhengog Fawr seam — British Geological Survey
5. (secondary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: John Jones (injured), New Lodge, Burry Port, 18 July 1932 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 10 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026