South Griffin Colliery

Overview

The Griffin Nos. 2 and 3 pits at Bournville, Blaina, sunk by John Lancaster from 1882 to about 742 feet. They employed over 1,500 men around 1900, stopped coal production in 1921 and were kept for pumping and ventilation into the 1950s.

History

John Lancaster and Company added the Griffin Nos. 2 and 3 pits in 1882 to its Griffin No. 1 at Nantyglo. They lay at Bournville, about a mile and a quarter south of No. 1, and became known as South Griffin. The sinking reached 225.9 metres, passing the Four-Feet at 134.9 metres, the Nine-Feet at 179.1 and the Five-Feet/Gellideg at 219.5. Both the Great Western and the London and North Western railways served it. No. 3 did not start production until 1891.

In 1896 No. 2 employed 816 men on the Three-Quarter, Big Vein and Elled, and No. 3 employed 868 on the Old Coal, under the manager J. Williams. Around 1903 the three Griffin pits together employed 3,407 men. In 1918 the colliery passed to Lancaster's Steam Coal Collieries Ltd, a subsidiary of the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company, and employed 1,781 men.

Coal production stopped in 1921. South Griffin was connected underground to Rose Heyworth Colliery and kept open for pumping and ventilation until the 1950s. In 1935 scenes for the film Whither Mankind, based on H. G. Wells's The Shape of Things to Come, were shot there.

Geology

South Wales Coal Measures: the Four-Feet at 134.9 metres, the Nine-Feet at 179.1 metres and the Five-Feet/Gellideg at 219.5 metres, with the Three-Quarter, Big Vein, Elled and Old Coal worked. The coal was sold as coking, house, steam and manufacturing coal.

Workings

Two shafts, Nos. 2 and 3, about a mile and a quarter south of Griffin No. 1, served by both the Great Western and the London and North Western railways, and connected underground to Rose Heyworth Colliery.

Closure

Coal production stopped in 1921. The pit was then kept open for pumping and ventilation for Rose Heyworth Colliery until the 1950s. The reason for ending production is unknown.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Beynon Colliery — Lancaster's Steam Coal neighbour, planned together in the Black Vein.
• Griffin No. 1 Colliery — Lancaster's Griffin Nos. 2 and 3, a mile and a quarter south; No. 1 became North Griffin when they opened.
• Henwaun Colliery — Lancaster pit returned together with the Griffin pits in 1907.
• Rose Heyworth Colliery — Connected underground; South Griffin pumped and ventilated Rose Heyworth after 1921.

Recorded claims

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

• Sunk by John Lancaster in 1882; No. 3 did not start production until 1891. ^1,2
• Sunk to 225.9 metres, passing the Four-Feet at 134.9, the Nine-Feet at 179.1 and the Five-Feet/Gellideg at 219.5 metres. ²
• In 1896 No. 2 employed 816 men and No. 3 employed 868. ¹
• Coal production stopped in 1921; the pit was kept for pumping and ventilation for Rose Heyworth until the 1950s. ^1,2
• Its workings in the Black Vein are planned together with Abertillery, Cwmtillery, Rose Heyworth and Beynon. ³
• Scenes for the film Whither Mankind were shot at the colliery in 1935. ^1,2

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) South Griffin Blaina — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Griffin Collieries — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) Mine plan: Abertillery, Cwmtillery, Rose Heyworth, South Griffin, Beynon, Black Vein — British Geological Survey

Record created: 23 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026