MineArchiveWyllie Colliery
| Location | Wyllie, Sirhowy Valley, Caerphilly — 51.6519, -3.1725 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1926–1968 |
| Maximum depth | 636 yards |
| Operators | Tredegar Iron and Coal Company (1926–1968) |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
A Sirhowy Valley colliery sunk by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company in 1926 and named for one of its directors, Alexander Wyllie — a comparatively short-lived twentieth-century pit that gave its name to the purpose-built village that grew up around it.
History
Wyllie Colliery was sunk by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, opening in 1926 and taking its name from one of the company's directors, Alexander Wyllie. Two shafts, North and South, were both sunk to 636 yards. The company built much of the surrounding village, most of its housing constructed between 1926 and 1930 specifically to house the colliery's workforce, giving the settlement its own name, Wyllie, within the Ynysddu community of what is now Caerphilly county borough. The colliery had a comparatively short working life for a South Wales pit of its size, closing in 1968 after only 42 years.
Workings
Two shafts, North and South, both sunk to 636 yards.
Closure
Closed in 1968 after only 42 years of working — a comparatively short life for a South Wales colliery of its scale.
What remains
The village of Wyllie, built by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company specifically to house the colliery's workforce, survives; no detail on the surviving condition of the colliery site itself was found in this pass.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Wyllie Colliery was sunk by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, opening in 1926 with two shafts, North and South, both 636 yards deep, and named for company director Alexander Wyllie. 1
- Most of the housing in the village of Wyllie was built by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company between 1926 and 1930 specifically to house the colliery's workforce. 1
- The colliery closed in 1968 after only 42 years of working. 1
- Wyllie Colliery lay in the Sirhowy Valley, within what is now the Caerphilly county borough. 2
Photographs & further reading
Sources
- (secondary) Wyllie Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- (primary) Wyllie Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 2 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 September 2026