Ogmore Vale (93608906)

There was a Rhondda Main Colliery in operation in 1878 when it was managed by J. Rosser. Whether this was a level and linked to the new colliery we do not know.

The first sod for the new colliery was cut on the 25th of August 1909 with the first coal being wound in 1914. The colliery got off to a bad start when on the 15th of August 1910 William Richards aged 44 years and Daniel John aged 38 years, both sinkers, fell down the shaft and were killed.

It consisted of two shafts; the Catherine Pit which encountered the No.2 Rhondda seam at a depth of 749 feet and was sunk to a depth of 817 feet 7 inches, and the Anne Pit encountered the No.2 Rhondda seam at a depth of 777 feet 6 inches and was sunk to a depth of 1,134 feet 10 inches. The Pits were 120 yards apart and named after the daughters of Sir William Thomas Lewis. A third shaft, called the Mary Pit, was sunk in 1923 but was abandoned after 60 feet.

This colliery was opened by Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Limited to work the mineral take from Blackmill to Tynewydd. It was claimed that they expended £1.25 million on opening it.

It employed 234 men by 1913 when it was managed by Watkin Moss, 320 men in 1915 when managed by Thomas Davies and 482 men between 1916 and 1919 when it was managed by R. Lewis. It was still with the Lewis Merthyr Company in 1923 it employed 982 and in 1927 it employed 482 men.
In 1930 it was listed as temporarily closed, within that year, it was purchased by the Cory Brothers. It was closed by the Cory Brothers & Co. Ltd., in 1935 and at that time had its own coal preparation plant (washery).

It abandoned the Mountain Seam in 1878, the Seven-Feet Seam in July 1893, the Red Vein in September 1897, the Gorllwyn in September 1898 and the No.3 Rhondda Seam on the 8th of November 1924. This site was later used for the central washery (coal preparation plant) which served the Wyndham/Western and Garw/Ffaldau collieries.

Some statistics:

  • 1912: Manpower: 209.
  • 1913: Manpower: 234.
  • 1915: Manpower: 320.
  • 1916: Manpower: 482.
  • 1919: Manpower: 482.
  • 1920: Manpower: 482.
  • 1922: Manpower: 482.
  • 1923: Manpower: 982.

 

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

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