Penyard Colliery

Overview

A Dowlais Iron Company level near the coalfield's northern outcrop, opened in 1873. Sources disagree on how long it lasted: one gives a small, early closure in 1901, the other places it within the wider Dowlais Collieries group's shared workings as late as 1924.

History

Penyard Colliery worked the coal seams of the Middle and Lower Coal Measures near their northern outcrop. Owned by the Dowlais Iron Company, it opened in 1873, employed 7 men in 1896, and was abandoned in 1901 according to one account.

A separate account of the wider "Dowlais Collieries" group instead lists Penyard among the pits worked for both coal and ironstone across the whole group, not abandoned until May 1924 along with the rest of that group; within that shared working, Penyard was also among the pits that worked the Little or Seven-Feet seam, abandoned in July 1917. The two accounts are not easily reconciled: either Penyard closed in 1901 as an independent small level and something else by the same name continued within the wider group, or the 1901 date in the first account is simply wrong.

Geology

Worked coal seams of the Middle and Lower Coal Measures near the coalfield's northern outcrop; one account also has it working the Little/Seven-Feet seam, abandoned July 1917.

Workings

A level near the northern outcrop of the coalfield, working coal seams of the Middle and Lower Coal Measures.

Closure

Sources disagree sharply: one gives 1901 for a small, 7-man level; the other keeps a pit of the same name working within the wider Dowlais Collieries group until May 1924. The abandonment plans for the Dowlais complex name Penyard, and a Penyard Balance, among the group's workings on five seams, which sits with the second account.

What's uncertain

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

• One account gives abandonment in 1901; a separate account instead keeps Penyard within the wider Dowlais Collieries group's shared workings (including the Little/Seven-Feet seam, abandoned July 1917) until the whole group's 1924 closure. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• Opened in 1873 near the coalfield's northern outcrop, working coal seams of the Middle and Lower Coal Measures; employed 7 men in 1896. ¹
• One account gives abandonment in 1901; a separate account instead keeps Penyard within the wider Dowlais Collieries group's shared workings (including the Little/Seven-Feet seam, abandoned July 1917) until the whole group's 1924 closure. (disputed) ^1,2
• Owned by the Dowlais Iron Company throughout its documented working life. ¹
• The Mining Remediation Authority's abandonment plans for the Dowlais complex name Penyard among the workings on the Upper Four Feet, Big Coal, Rhas Las, Little Vein and Lower Four Feet seams (SWR3130), and a Penyard Balance with No. 7 Pit and Penwaun Fawr on the Little seam (SWR3044), both alongside Tyla Dowlais, Buxtons, Cwmbargoed, Brewhouse and the Blind Balance. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Small collieries of the Dowlais Cwmbargoed & Penydarren areas — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Dowlais Collieries — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) DOWLAIS/ PENYARD /BLIND BALANCE/ TYLA DOWLAIS /SMOKE /BLIND ENGINER/ BUXTONS /CWM CENOL/ BLAEN RHAS/ PANTYWAIN /LOWER FOUR FEET FLUE/ CARNO/ CARNO FLUE UPCAST/ BIG COAL FLUE/ LOWER FOUR FEET/ RHAS LAS — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 15 September 2026 · Last researched: 24 September 2026