The full list of coal seams are as follows, in descending order. The official name is given first, then the seam depth followed by the depth from pithead. Any name for the seam as worked at Bedwas is given in brackets, highlighted in red.
Sinking of the colliery commenced in 1909 and coal was first raised in 1912. Both Shafts, North Pit and South Pit were sunk to the same depth; 854 yards. The North Pit/Rock Vein wound its coal from the Rock Vein Landing, 605yards deep, and the South Pit/Black Vein from 854 yards, the full depth of the shaft. The cages in the North Pit were able to wind men from the South pit by de-clutching the North Pit Winding Engine. Both shafts had a double-deck cage which each carried 4 drams.The primary seams worked were the Rock, Big, Black, Meadow, and Lower Black Veins. The Meadow vein comprised of the Yard and Seven-feet seams-a band of mudstone, 1ft thick, separated these seams. Similarly with the Lower Black Vein comprised the Five-Feet and Gellideg seams.
The Navigation Steam Coal Company Limited until 1921 owned Bedwas Colliery. Then the Bedwas Navigation Colliery (1921) Limited owned it until nationalisation (see section on post-War years).
From 1978 the coalfaces were equipped with Gullick/Dobson 6/240 self-advancing Hydraulic roof supports. The coal cutters were British Jeffrey Diamond ranging-drum Shearer's. The haulage system for the coal cutters was a chainless system called Peratrack. Dosco Mark 2A Road headers or Eimco Shovel loaders (in headings that were formed by drilling and blasting) drove the development roadways.
In the early 1980s the NCB wanted to invest in the colliery by putting 'Skip-winding 'in one of the shafts and a new road-way from the North pit to the South so that all the coal from both pits could be wound up one shaft. This was to overcome the operational difficulties in bringing coal to the surface: Coal in the South pit was conveyed out to a 'Dump ' approximately ¾ mile inbye where it was transferred to drams and hauled to the pit bottom by battery-driven locomotives; In the North pit, the coal was conveyed to a 'dump' near the pit bottom and transferred to drams and then wound up the shaft. Coal from the South pit could not be wound up the North pit and vice-versa. This is why the investment of approximately 9 million pounds was needed, as in practical terms it was like working in two separate collieries.
For this investment to take place private mining contractors would be used. However, the NUM lodge at the colliery were totally opposed to this and voted against it. With hindsight, this investment may have secured the colliery's future longer than the end of the 1984/85 strike.
The last coalfaces in production at the time of closure were the M46 in the south pit, working the Meadow Vein, and the B102 working the Big Vein in the north pit. The Big Vein was being developed in the in both pits. The B102 had actually ceased production. A decision to stop development and close the North pit was taken during the strike of 1984. The seam had thinned considerably and faulted.The B102 equipment was salvaged along with some conveyor drives from the North pit. However, the locomotives were the only pieces of equipment salvaged from the South pit, everything else is entombed underground.
The colliery did not resume production after the return to work by the miners on March 9th 1985. The closure of the mine was shrouded in controversy.
The site currently awaits reclamation and redevelopment.
|
Bedwas is now going through a period identical with that which you have gone through. The tyranny of the S.W.M.F. did not break you in 1934 and it will not break Bedwas in 1936, what ever lying literature might say. The Federation's claims of its increase of membership is on a par with all the lying statements they have made at Taff Merthyr. At Taff Merthyr, the ranks of the Miners' Industrial Union are whole and steady, in spite of the mass intimidation and physical violence, which you have endured. During the next few weeks the S.W.M.F. will try your patience in many ways, hoping to cause trouble and strife at the colliery. They will try to break through our ranks with unscrupulous propaganda, but together we can hold back this Red tide of Communism. The Taff Merthyr Committee, |
When I took the photos on the following pages Dai Cowley, the deputy on duty gave me a plan of the underground workings. I have scanned part of the plan which can be accessed below:
1. Key to plan and explanation of districts - Plan1
2. Extract of section showing later workings - Plan2
