Rhydwain Colliery

Overview

An early level at Hirwaun in the Cynon Valley, working coal near the northern outcrop of the South Wales Coalfield under owner John Morgan around 1878–82. Almost nothing else about it survives in either source that documents it.

History

Rhydwain Colliery was an early level at Hirwaun, in the Cynon Valley, working coal seams of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures near their northern outcrop. The official 1880 return of collieries then at work in the United Kingdom lists it under the ownership of John Morgan; the Northern Mine Research Society's own account of the district's small collieries corroborates this, dating his ownership to 1878–82 and naming W. Davies as manager, while noting that no other mention of the colliery could be found. No working dates, output, employment or closure record has survived in either source.

Geology

Worked coal seams of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures near their outcrop; no specific seam named.

Workings

A level near the northern outcrop of the South Wales Coalfield; no further detail survives.

Closure

Unknown.

What remains

Unknown.

Nearby mines

• Tower Colliery — 1.0 km N
• Bwllfa Dare Colliery — 2.4 km E
• Merthyr Dare Colliery — 2.6 km E
• Nantmelyn Colliery — 2.8 km E
• Maerdy Colliery — 3.4 km S

Straight-line distance, within 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.

• Owned by John Morgan around 1878–82, per the official 1880 return of UK collieries at work and NMRS's own district account, which additionally names W. Davies as manager. ^1,2
• Managed by W. Davies during John Morgan's ownership. ²
• An early level at Hirwaun in the Cynon Valley, working coal seams of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures near their northern outcrop. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) List of coal mines UK 1880 — Coalmining History Resource Centre
2. (secondary) Small collieries of the Cynon valley — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 6 September 2026 · Last researched: 15 September 2026