Oakwood Colliery

Overview

Davis's Pit in Maesteg, opened in the 1860s by William Davis of Bridgend, where an explosion killed all eleven men of the night shift in 1872. Sir Alfred Jones's Elder's Navigation Collieries later sent its coal to Elder Dempster's coaling stations in the Canaries and West Africa; it closed around 1928-30.

History

Oakwood Colliery, off Bethania Street in Maesteg in the Llynfi Valley, was known locally throughout its life as Pwll Davis or Davis's Pit after its founder William Davis of Bridgend, and also as Maesteg Merthyr Colliery. Welsh Coal Mines gives its opening as 1864 in one account and 1868 in another, on the site of a level worked earlier by Charles Sheppard of Bath; it first worked the Upper Four Feet at 157 yards, the Lower Four Feet at 170 and the Six Feet at 180, and in time reached the Lower Nine Feet at 285 yards. Just before midnight on 10 January 1872 an explosion of gas killed all eleven men underground on the night shift, most of them repairers, and six horses; the inquest heard that a collier had intended to fire a shot where gas was known, but the jury could not say how or by whom the gas was ignited. Maesteg Merthyr Collieries was formed in 1874 to develop the mine, without success; T. Roberts and Company took it over in 1884 and James Barrow and Ebenezer Lewis in 1893. In 1899-1900 the shipping magnate Sir Alfred Jones of Elder Dempster bought it with the neighbouring Garth colliery as Elder's Navigation Collieries, and much of its coal went to his coaling stations in the Canary Islands and Sierra Leone. It became Celtic Collieries in 1915, part of the Cambrian Combine from 1916, passed to North's Navigation Collieries in 1920, and closed in 1928, or 1929-30 by another account.

Geology

Steam and house coal of the South Wales coalfield: the Upper Four Feet, Lower Four Feet (Truro), Six Feet, Seven Feet, Nine Feet and Lower Nine Feet seams.

Geological setting: Sedimentary Beds and Seams (well documented example)

Workings

Shafts to the Upper Four Feet (157 yards), Lower Four Feet (170) and Six Feet (180), later deepened to the Lower Nine Feet at 285 yards; in 1872 a furnace at the foot of the upcast shaft ventilated the pit. Worked with the neighbouring Garth colliery from 1900; the Caedafid level was listed with it in 1923.

Closure

Closed in 1928 under North's Navigation Collieries, by the account of the Llynfi Valley historian David Lewis (also GENUKI's list); another Welsh Coal Mines account has North's holding it until its closure in 1929/30. Celtic Collieries went into receivership in 1930.

What remains

Unknown.

Unknown.

Nearby mines

• Gin Pit, Maesteg — 1.6 km NW
• St John's Colliery — 1.9 km NE
• Coegnant Colliery — 2.7 km N
• Caerau Colliery — 3.9 km N
• Cynon Colliery — 4.2 km NW, Neath Port Talbot

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

People

• Charles P. Davies · partner, 1872 — Senior partner of the owning firm in 1872, who led the exploring parties after the explosion.
• William Davis · proprietor, 1864–1884 — via the operator record
• Alfred Jones · owner, 1900–1909 — Shipping magnate of Elder Dempster Lines, who bought the colliery in 1900 to supply his coaling stations.

What's uncertain

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

• The mine was opened in 1864 by W. Davis and was locally known as Pwll Davis; it eventually reached the Lower Nine Feet seam at 285 yards. (disputed) ¹
• The colliery was opened in 1868 by William Davis of Bridgend on the site of a level worked by Charles Sheppard of Bath, and closed in 1928. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• The mine was opened in 1864 by W. Davis and was locally known as Pwll Davis; it eventually reached the Lower Nine Feet seam at 285 yards. (disputed) ¹
• The colliery was opened in 1868 by William Davis of Bridgend on the site of a level worked by Charles Sheppard of Bath, and closed in 1928. (disputed) ^1,2
• Just before midnight on 10 January 1872 an explosion killed all eleven miners, mostly repairers, then underground; six horses also died, and the inquest could not say how or by whom the gas was ignited. ^1,3
• In 1900 Sir Alfred Jones of Elder Dempster Lines bought Oakwood with the Garth Merthyr Colliery as Elder's Navigation Collieries; much of its coal supplied his coaling stations in the Canary Islands and Sierra Leone. ¹
• Oakwood employed 140 workers in 1872, 249 in 1891, 495 in 1899 and 275 in 1925. ^1,2

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Oakwood Colliery, Maesteg — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Coal mines in production in the Llynfi Valley 1840-1985 (David Lewis) — GENUKI
3. (secondary) Oakwood Colliery Explosion - Maesteg - 1872 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) Maesteg Merthyr (Oakwood) / Shepherds Pits (Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan, via BGS catalogue item 21845363) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 19 September 2026 · Last researched: 19 September 2026