Ferndale Colliery was a series of nine coal mines, located close to the village of Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taf in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.
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The first development by David Davies of Montgomeryshire from 1857, in accessing the high quality steam coal and a greater depth, spurred others into tapping into the "Black Gold". Over the following 50 years, eight further pits were created.
Ferndale No.1 was developed on the land of the farm at Blaenllechau, within the borough of Ferndale. The following four pits were also within the village borough of Ferndale, while the last four were within the boundaries of neighbouring village Tylorstown. These later pits were also referred to as Tylorstown No.6 through No.9. However, later consolidation within the areas mining and pit complex eventually connected all nine of the mines. Hence the whole development was called Ferndale Colliery, from the completion of No.9 in 1907 by Davies's Ocean Colliery Company onwards. This allowed the complex to work the coal and ironstone of the: Two Feet Nine; Four Feet; Five Feet; Bute; Gellideg; Red; and Yard seams.
By the 1930s, when most of the complex was within the ownership of Powell Duffryn, the accessible coal reserves had been exhausted from the shorter shafts. Resultantly, their pit head workings were closed on economic grounds, although the workable underground coal faces were consolidated into the remaining shafts.
By the time of World War II and the Bevin Boys, only three of the original pits were still worked. These continued operation successfully under nationalisation from 1947, until the entire complex was finally closed by the National Coal Board in 1959.
Two large colliery disasters occurred in Ferndale during the 19th century.[1]
On Friday 8 November 1867, the whole district was shaken by two consecutive explosions at Ferndale No.1. Rescuers were hampered by roof falls, and with the air so foul, with some intrepidation the furnace which powered the ventilation was relit. It took a month to recover the remains of the 178 men and boys, with most bodies showing signs of severe burning, and many so badly disfigured it made identification impossible. At the subsequent enquiry, the lamp keeper stated that safety signs had been tampered with, and incidents regularly occurred that breached the company's. Although reported to the mine manager, these breaches were ignored. The jury concluded:[2]
| “ | We believe the explosion took place, first: in consequence of a great accumulation of gas in certain workings of the colliery. This accumulation we attribute to the neglect of Mr. Williams the manager and his subordinate officers. Second: by this gas being fired by one or more of the colliers carelessly taking off the tops of their lamps and working with naked lights | ” |
Just 17 months later, on 10 June 1869, another explosion occurred killing 53 men and boys. The resultant inquest criticised the managers of the pit for not implementing all the recommendations made after the 1867 explosion. Further they criticised the pits ventilation system, which they concluded did not manage to properly distribute air throughout all the pit.[2]
On 13 February 1908, 55 year old former Private Thomas Chester, who 29 years earlier had been one of the defenders during the Battle of Rorke's Drift by thousands of Zulu warriors, was killed in the railway sidings of the coal washery at No.5 pit. Working as a coal trimmer, after allowing two wagons to pass, he stepped onto the railway tracks to break up a lump of coal which had fallen onto the empty road leading to No.1 pit screens. He was knocked down and killed by a wagon, which was being lowered towards the screens, not aware that others wagons were to follow.[2][3]
| Collieries in Ferndale | ||||||||
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| Number | Name | Date sunk | Date closed | Shaft Depth | Employment 1908 |
Employment 1923 |
Employment 1945 |
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200 yards (180 m) |
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First pit sunk in the Rhondda to work steam coal. After sinking of No.5, was extended to same depth |
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225 yards (206 m)[4] |
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1,540 yards North of No.1, located next to No.4. Closed before the outbreak of World War II | |
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238 yards (218 m)[4] |
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Sunk in 1864 by Warner Simpson and Company. Bought by David Davies in 1890. Sold to Cory Brothers before 1923. Closed from 1936, used as a ventilation shaft for No.1 & No.5[5] | |
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300 yards (270 m)[4] |
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1,540 yards North of No.1, located next to No.2. Closed before the outbreak of World War II | |
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358 yards (327 m)[4] |
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40 yards North from No.1 | |
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464 yards (424 m) |
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1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of No.1, developed by Alfred Tylor’s Colliery Company |
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464 yards (424 m) |
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1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of No.1, developed by Alfred Tylor’s Colliery Company | |
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606 yards (554 m) |
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Sunk by Thomas Wayne as Pont y Gwaith in 1858, it was renamed Cynllwyn Du. Closed, it was reopened by David Davies in 1892 to access the Gellideg seam. Extended to a depth of 606 yards, it was the deepest mine in the Rhondda[6] |
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550 yards (500 m) |
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