Abercynon Colliery: Difference between revisions
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Abercynon Colliery was a coal mine located in Abercynon, South Wales. Opened in 1889, it closed in 1988.
Development
Developed by the Dowlais Irown Works to feed a new steel works in Cardiff.
Post World War 2, nationalisation took place on 1st January 1947, but the returning miners wanted better conditions, and many choose to commute to work at the newly developed Treforest Trading Estate. In part filled by displaced and stateless Europeans, even special allowances did not fulfil the labour needs of the mines.[1]
In March 1975 it was linked underground via two parallel tunnels with Lady Windsor Colliery located in Ynysybwl,[1] which was situated on the other side of the mountain in Ynysybwl, to form a single production unit at a cost of £450,000. Coal was raised at the Lady Windsor end of the unit from a depth of 687 yards, with 1,150 men were producing 318,000 tons yearly from Six feet, Lower Nine feet and Seven feet seams.[2] later to become Ocean and United National Collieries Ltd,[3] By 1981 manpower deployment broke down to 216 on development, 292 on the coalface, 342 underground and 305 on the surface.[3]
Closure
The Lady Windsor Lodge assumed a leading role in the 1985/86 UK Miner's Strike, but on return to work the unit managed an impressive recovery obtaining 98% of expected output within a month.[3]
The Lady Windsor/Abercynon unit was closed by British Coal in February 1988,[3] with an estimated 25 years of workable coal left.[1]