Saron Colliery

Ammanford, Amman Valley 606123.

This was an anthracite slant that was flanked by Tir-y-Dail Colliery to the north-east, Park Colliery to the north, Pantyffynnon Colliery to the east and Rhos Colliery to the south. It was two miles from Ammanford on the main road to Capel Hendre. It worked the Stanllyd, Gras Uchaf, Lower Trichwart and Lower Pumpquart seams but suffered from poor geological conditions. It was ventilated in c1881 by a five feet in diameter Schiele type fan. It was opened pre 1908 by the Blaina Colliery Company Limited who was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. At that time it employed 113 men underground and 26 men on the surface. The manager was Henry Thomas. In 1918 only 8 men were employed at this mine with it increasing to 60 men in 1919, Job Davies was the manager in 1920 and it employed 350 men in 1927 when Rees Thomas was the manager.

On the 31st of December 1925, George Stevens, aged 39 years and a haulier, died under a fall of the roof which completely buried him.

During the 1925 Anthracite District strike this colliery was owned by the Blaina and Raven Anthracite Collieries Limited and was the scene of particularly violent confrontations, at one time shots were fired and a man was hit by a bullet but not seriously injured.

The Blaina & Raven Company was absorbed into Henderson’s Welsh Anthracite Collieries Limited which in turn became a subsidiary of the giant Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited. This company went on to control 80% of South Wales’ anthracite production. In 1934 Henderson’s was based at 81, Gresham Street, London and its directors were; Sir A. Cope, Sir D.R. Llewellyn, T.H. Henderson, T.P. Cook. D.Thomas, W. Peglar and W. Slark. It controlled ten collieries and employed 2,714 miners.

In 1935 Saron Colliery employed 13 men on the surface and 199 men underground. In 1943/5 the manager was D.J. Daniel. In 1943 this colliery was working the Stanllyd, Lower Triquart and Lower Pumpquart seams with 271 men working underground and 74 men on the surface of the mine.

On Nationalisation of the Nation’s coal mines in January 1947, Saron Colliery was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.1 (Swansea) Area, and at that time employed 67 men on the surface and 294 men underground working the Stanllyd, Lower Triquart, Lower Pumpquart and Charcoal seams. The manager at that time was D.J. Daniel. In 1955 out of the total colliery manpower of 202 men, 120 of them worked at the coalfaces. In 1956 Saron Colliery was working the Lower Trichwart seam by means of a double unit face that was 130 yards in length. The thickness of this seam was coal 32 inches and clod 32 inches.

During the week ending the 18th of June 1956, 123 men produced only 531 tons of coal starting off the closure process. It was closed by the National Coal Board in September 1956 basically to supply the manpower needs of local collieries. Demands by the local NUM Lodge to drive two roadways 1,400 yards through barren ground to a virgin area of coal were refused.

Some Statistics:

• 1899: Manpower: 176.
• 1900: Manpower: 225.
• 1902: Manpower: 361.
• 1901: Manpower: 225.
• 1903: Manpower: 279.
• 1905: Manpower: 193.
• 1907: Manpower: 135.
• 1909: Manpower: 150.
• 1910: Manpower: 133.
• 1911: Manpower: 150.
• 1912: Manpower: 58.
• 1918: Manpower: 8.
• 1919: Manpower: 60.
• 1920: Manpower: 100.
• 1921: Work Suspended.
• 1923: Manpower: 255.
• 1924: Manpower: 319.
• 1925: Manpower: 290.
• 1927: Manpower: 350.
• 1930: Manpower: 212.
• 1931: Manpower: 325.
• 1933: Manpower: 358
• 1936: Manpower: 384.
• 1937: Manpower: 328.
• 1940/1: Manpower: 343.
• 1942: Manpower: 337.
• 1944: Manpower: 366.
• 1945: Manpower: 345.
• 1947: Manpower: 361.
• 1948: Manpower: 350. Output: 50,000 tons.
• 1950: Manpower: 308.
• 1953: Manpower: 298. Output: 37,500 tons.
• 1954: Output: 31,000 tons.
• 1955: Manpower: 202. Output: 32,665 tons.
• 1956: Manpower: 384.

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