Rhos Colliery

RHOS COLLIERY

Pantyffynnon, Amman Valley 601115

This was an anthracite mine which was just under a mile from Wernos Colliery. It was worked by Messrs. Crawley & Company in 1865 and the Rhos Colliery Company in 1882/6 when it was managed by O.A. Rees and mined the Stanllyd and Grasissa seams. In the 1890’s it consisted of the No.2 Pit which was working the Stanllyd seam by the long wall method of coal extraction using safety lamps with the upcast shaft working the Grassissa seam by the same methods. The No.2 or downcast shaft was elliptical in shape measuring 15 feet by 8 feet and was 324 feet deep while the upcast shaft was 384 feet deep. Ventilation was by a 20 feet diameter Waddle fan.

In 1896 it was still owned by the Rhos Colliery Company and employed 266 men underground and 53 men on the surface and was managed by Thomas G Adams. In 1899/1901 it was managed by David Davies, in 1905/20 it was managed by Lewis Jenkins and employed 118 men underground and 36 men on the surface in 1908n. In 1913 it employed 271 men and in 1915/6 it employed 280 men. Mr. Jenkins was still the manager in 1918 when it employed 157 men. Manpower increased to 187 men in 1919 with Mr. Jenkins still the manager. This Company was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

The New Rhos Anthracite Collieries Limited came under the control of the United Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1925, and Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited in 1926. Thomas Jenkins was the manager in 1922/33.

In 1927 this colliery employed 249 men, in 1930 along with Wernos, it employed 510 men working underground and 119 men at the surface. In the 1931/2/3 period it was still with Wernos and they employed 770 men.

This Rhos Colliery was closed in 1938.

Some statistics:

• 1896: Manpower: 319.
• 1899: Manpower: 295.
• 1901: Manpower: 324.
• 1902: Manpower: 327.
• 1905: Manpower: 152.
• 1907: Manpower: 198.
• 1908: Manpower: 154.
• 1909: Manpower: 154.
• 1910: Manpower: 248.
• 1911: Manpower: 213.
• 1912: Manpower: 275.
• 1913: Manpower: 271.
• 1915/6: Manpower: 280.
• 1918: Manpower: 157.
• 1919: Manpower: 187.
• 1923: Manpower: 208.
• 1924: Manpower: 202.
• 1925: Manpower: 200.
• 1927: Manpower: 303.
• 1928: Manpower: 363.
• 1929: Manpower: 352 with Wernos.
• 1930: Manpower: 629 with Wernos.
• 1931: Manpower: 770 with Wernos.
• 1933: Manpower: 306.
• 1937: Manpower: 293.
• 1938: Manpower: 300.

RHOS OPENCAST SITE

Amman Valley

This site was operated by Murphy and Company and produced 128,562 tons of anthracite coal and employed 53 men in 1979.

Information supplied by Ray Lawrence and used here with his permission.