Graigfawr translated from Welsh means "large rock," or "big crag."
Evidence of Graigfawr's industrial heritage is located on the mountainside above the site of the demolished Marine Colliery near the village of Cwm. A byepass running alongside, now diverts traffic away from Cwm, located three miles south of Ebbw Vale. The views either side of this byepass are a temptation for the walker, or just the curious.
Although the mountains are beautiful, there are still many interesting remains of the industrial past of the area. Care should be taken when walking.
The Celynen North Colliery was opened by the Newport Abercarn Blackvein Coal Co. in 1913. An upshaft along with its house coal partner Graig Fawr both opened in 1924. The Graig Fawr was sunk to the "Tillery" seam at 150 metres. It was plagued with water problems for most of its working life. The fast flowing stream of today can partly testify to this problem.
Newport Abercarn Blackvein Coal Co. sold the colliery to the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Co. Then, in 1937 Partridge, Jones and John Paton Ltd. took over until nationalisation in 1947.
At its peak over 1900 men were employed at the Celynen North and the Graig Fawr. 184 miners worked in Graig Fawr producing house coal. Both pits were overseen by the one Colliery Manager, so they were closely linked.
During the last few years of the collieries life it was linked underground to Oakdale colliery where all of its coal was raised to the surface.
Graig Fawr closed in 1961.
Version 2:
The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Co. Ltd. started sinking this mine in 1887 on the site where formerly existed a siding connection with a colliery that the Ebbw Vale Co. had sunk, but as they abandoned.
Where the Tillery rises close to the surface it often appears to have a reddish hue also after burning the ashes have a reddish colour, in this area it is sometimes known as the Red Ash seam.
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, the workforce numbered 97 including 10 surface workers.
By 1908 it was listed with the nearby Marine colliery.
Later the pit was abandoned levels were driven into the mountainside to work the Red Ash seam., one of these levels was situated at SO 184046.
In 1918 and 1923 the workforce numbered 137 and 75 respectively at the Graig Fawr (Level).
It closed in 1928.
Meg's Note: Apologies, but at present I am unable to confirm which of the two versions above is correct.
The Oakdale complex of collieries closed in 1989.
Evidence of Graigfawr's industrial heritage is located on the mountainside above the site of the demolished Marine Colliery near the village of Cwm. A byepass running alongside, now diverts traffic away from Cwm, located three miles south of Ebbw Vale. The views either side of this byepass are a temptation for the walker, or just the curious.
Although the mountains are beautiful, there are still many interesting remains of the industrial past of the area. Care should be taken when walking.
The South Wales Valleys are honeycombed with shafts and
tunnels. Just south of the village of
Cwm between Aberbeeg and Ebbw Vale, a brick tower can be seen on the hillside above a stream
emanating from a mountainside tunnel.
This tower is a ventilation shaft and is part of the Graig Fawr colliery tunnel system.
Version 1: Its entrance in the neighbouring Ebbw Valley between Newbridge and Crumlin. This pit was closely connected with the Celynen North Colliery. Their pit wheels appearing close together in photographs on the link below.
Version 1: Its entrance in the neighbouring Ebbw Valley between Newbridge and Crumlin. This pit was closely connected with the Celynen North Colliery. Their pit wheels appearing close together in photographs on the link below.
The Celynen North Colliery was opened by the Newport Abercarn Blackvein Coal Co. in 1913. An upshaft along with its house coal partner Graig Fawr both opened in 1924. The Graig Fawr was sunk to the "Tillery" seam at 150 metres. It was plagued with water problems for most of its working life. The fast flowing stream of today can partly testify to this problem.
Newport Abercarn Blackvein Coal Co. sold the colliery to the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Co. Then, in 1937 Partridge, Jones and John Paton Ltd. took over until nationalisation in 1947.
At its peak over 1900 men were employed at the Celynen North and the Graig Fawr. 184 miners worked in Graig Fawr producing house coal. Both pits were overseen by the one Colliery Manager, so they were closely linked.
During the last few years of the collieries life it was linked underground to Oakdale colliery where all of its coal was raised to the surface.
Graig Fawr closed in 1961.
Version 2:
The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Co. Ltd. started sinking this mine in 1887 on the site where formerly existed a siding connection with a colliery that the Ebbw Vale Co. had sunk, but as they abandoned.
Where the Tillery rises close to the surface it often appears to have a reddish hue also after burning the ashes have a reddish colour, in this area it is sometimes known as the Red Ash seam.
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, the workforce numbered 97 including 10 surface workers.
By 1908 it was listed with the nearby Marine colliery.
Later the pit was abandoned levels were driven into the mountainside to work the Red Ash seam., one of these levels was situated at SO 184046.
In 1918 and 1923 the workforce numbered 137 and 75 respectively at the Graig Fawr (Level).
It closed in 1928.
Meg's Note: Apologies, but at present I am unable to confirm which of the two versions above is correct.
The Oakdale complex of collieries closed in 1989.
The metal air shaft served the original Adit* just a little
way south, this adit wasn't into the red ash seam it was driven to intercept
the natural aquafer to divert the water via a large pipe down to the Marine
feeder pond.
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Rusting metal Air Shaft
The brick air shaft was for the Graig Fawr red ash
workings built many years before the Marine shaft was sunk. If you were to park on the
new bypass road a little to the north of the old pump on the roundabout there
should be the remains of an identical shaft which was a furnace shaft
for the Cwm & Mon red ash coliery.
The haulage
engine on the hill was used to draw trams of waste up from the Marine. This was
before the first aerial flight was constructed. Even then the trams were
drawn up to a transfer point to be discharged into buckets which travelled upwards almost
vertically to tip on the hillside. This became obsolete.
*An adit is a horizontal entrance to a mine. It can be used for drainage, ventilation or for access.
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