The following photographs were taken in early June 1985 with just the pit deputies still on site and the last pumping operation about to take place.

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Terminology

Upcast and downcast

Have you ever wondered why all collieries have two sets of headframes ? Since the late-19th century all mines were required by law to have two shafts and two roadways into the coal face. This was for ventilation and safety. Fresh air entered the mine through the downcast shaft, circulated underground and then passed up via the upcast shaft. A fan would expel stale air from an outlet just away from the top of the upcast shaft. The headgear for the upcast shaft of course then had to be airtight to stop fresh air being drawn from the top of the shaft, instead of from underground. So you can always spot an upcast shaft - it's the one of the two with the airtight steel cladding around the headgear.

Fireman

Pit deputies were referred to within the South Wales Coalfield as firemen. The term originally derived from their original and dangerous duty of igniting pockets of gas or firedamp in badly-ventilated parts of the workings.