MineArchiveWrexham and Acton Colliery
| Also known as | Wrexham Colliery |
|---|---|
| Location | Rhosddu, Wrexham — 53.0641, -3.0035 (approximate) |
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1868–1924 |
| Maximum depth | 1,050 feet (about 350 yards). |
| Operators | Wrexham Colliery Company (?–1924), Wrexham Coal Company, Wrexham and Acton Colliery Company |
Overview
A colliery at Rhosddu, on the north side of Wrexham, sunk in 1868 to about 1,050 feet. It employed 998 men in 1908 and closed in 1924, its men going to Gresford; the Rhosddu Industrial Estate now covers most of the site.
History
The Wrexham Coal Company opened two separate workings at Rhosddu in the 1860s; the colliery was sunk in 1868 to a depth of 1,050 feet, and the two units were later joined as Wrexham Nos. 1 and 2, about 350 yards deep. Its best seams were the Main, seven feet thick, and the Brassey, four feet. Its headgears were of wood. The colliery brought new people to Rhosddu, whose population grew with it.
By 1896 it belonged to the Wrexham and Acton Colliery Company and employed 634 men, 106 of them on the surface. The workforce reached 998 in 1908 and was 934 in 1918. In 1923 the Wrexham Colliery Company employed 573 men, working the Crank, Powell and King seams.
The colliery closed in 1924. Its closure eased a shortage of men at nearby Gresford Colliery, owned by the same company. Most of the site is now the Rhosddu Industrial Estate, but the red-brick engine house survives and is in use.
Geology
The Main seam (seven feet) and the Brassey (four feet) were the best; the Crank, Powell and King seams were worked in 1923.
Workings
Two shafts at first worked as separate units, later combined as Wrexham Nos. 1 and 2, about 350 yards deep, with wooden headgears.
Closure
Closed in 1924; its men helped meet a manpower shortage at Gresford Colliery, owned by the same company.
What remains
Most of the site is an industrial estate; the colliery's red-brick engine house survives and is in use.
The red-brick engine house.
Redevelopment
The Rhosddu Industrial Estate occupies most of the site.
Related mines
- Gresford Colliery — Owned by the same company; its closure in 1924 relieved a shortage of men at Gresford.
Nearby mines
- Gresford Colliery — 0.8 miles (1.3 km) NE
- Gatewen Colliery — 1.0 miles (1.6 km) W
- Gwersyllt Colliery — 1.1 miles (1.8 km) NW
- Brynmally Colliery — 1.2 miles (2.0 km) SW
- Westminster Colliery — 1.5 miles (2.3 km) NW
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (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.
- The colliery was sunk in 1868 to a depth of 1,050 feet. 1
- Its best seams were the Main, seven feet thick, and the Brassey, four feet. 1
- In 1896 the Wrexham and Acton Colliery Company employed 634 men there, 106 on the surface. 2
- The workforce numbered 998 in 1908 and 934 in 1918. 2
- It closed in 1924, easing a manpower shortage at Gresford Colliery. 2,1
- Most of the site is now the Rhosddu Industrial Estate. 2,1
Photographs & further reading
The colliery's owners, depth, workforce from 1896 to 1923 and closure.
View sourceA photograph of the colliery with a note on its sinking, seams, closure and surviving engine house.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) People's Collection Wales: Wrexham & Acton Colliery (item 25840) — People's Collection Wales
- (primary) Ffrwd Colliery, near Brymbo — Welsh Coal Mines, from the Inspector of Mines lists
- (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan: WREXHAM AND ACTON (Main) — British Geological Survey
- (secondary) Wikipedia: Rhosddu — Wikipedia
Record created: 11 October 2026 · Last researched: 11 October 2026