The Garw Valley had 6 deep pits and numerous levels (drift mines). The deep pits were:
Lluest – working in 1880 and closed in 1902
Ffaldau – sunk in 1877 and closed in 1985
Darren – sunk in 1880s and closed in 1924
Glenafon – sunk in 1903 and closed in 1959
International – sunk in 1890-1893 and closed in 1967
Garw – sunk in 1883 and closed in 1985
The only thing left now is the concrete caps where the Darren and Lluest pits have been filled in and there are lakes where the Garw Colliery once stood.
Glenafon Colliery (also known as Glengarw or more commonly as the Ballarat) was sunk in 1903, this photo was taken by Earnest T. Bush during its sinking. It was closed in 1959.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
The van in the picture belongs to the contractors who had come to demolish the pit.
It was the first colliery in the area to be really modernised by its owners Powell Dyffryn (who had purchased it from Cory Brothers) before Nationalisation in 1947.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
When they were converting the winder from steam to electricity in 1946 they were putting the new winding drum in when one half of the drum slipped, sheared through a bolt which flew out and hit a man in the head, killing him instantly. The building in the foreground on the left was the Stores where I had been working the previous year.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
You can see the crane in the background which was brought in to retrieve the ventilating fan which was apparently 16 to 18 feet in diameter.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
A lot of the buildings have been demolished.
You can see the rain clouds over the Garw. A common sight!
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
You can see the upcast shaft on the left, it was the first shaft sunk here in 1887.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 after closure.
By this point in its demolition the head frame had been removed.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 in the early stages of demolition.
You can see the railwayman’s hut in the foreground and the weighbridge in the distance.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 in the early stages of demolition.
This shows the weighbridge in the foreground and the walkway where the men came up from the pit and went into the pithead baths.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
You can see the Squirrel Pub in the foreground.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 before demolition.
I took this photo from the Braich y Cymer side of the valley.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 before demolition.
You can still see the pylons on the top of the ‘tumps’ (or spoil heaps) in the background.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 before demolition.
You can see the walkway for the men coming up the pit and into the pithead baths. In the foreground you can see the housing for the conveyor which took the coal to the screens.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 halfway through demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
This photo was taken from the Braich y Cymer side of the valley from halfway up the mountain.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
The screens and aerial ropeway have been removed.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
You can see the head frame on the right.
Ffaldau Colliery
Ffaldau Colliery
Ffaldau Colliery
Looking down the shaft at the Garw Colliery in December 1985. They were just about to fill it in. It took 11 days to fill in.
Ffaldau Colliery
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
It took them a year to completely demolish it.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
This is the ventilating fan, it was 16 to 18 feet in diameter. It was due to be moved to St. John’s Colliery in Maesteg but it was too big to get under the bridges between Ffaldau and Maesteg.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 just before the started demolition.
This was the landmark I always remember from my schooldays. We could see it every day when we left school. I thought it would always be there.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Demolition of Ffaldau Colliery winding house 1985.
Ffaldau Colliery winding house 1985.
The colliery was working for 109 years. It took 4 hours to demolish.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
The winding ropes crossed over the main road at this point before the conversion from steam power to blast (compressed air).
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition. This is the compressor/fan house.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
This is the upcast shaft.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
From right to left these buildings were Stores, Fitting Shop and Blacksmiths Shop.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
I took this photo from the top of the head frame.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition. When travelling down the shaft you would be travelling at roughly 28 feet per second.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
They were filling in the shaft here.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 nearing the end of demolition.
This is where the pit head was.
This is the Ambulance Hall, the headquarters of the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade in Pontycymer next to Ffaldau Colliery. They provided the first aid training for the pits. They used to hold dances here too.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
They were apparently still painting the head frame whilst it was closing; they had to, they’d signed a contract.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 demolition is nearly complete.
Garw Colliery (used to be known as the Ocean Colliery) after its closure in 1985.
It was eventually dismantled by the same firm who demolished the Ffaldau Colliery.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
The small wheel just below the large wheel was used in an emergency to bring the men up the shaft.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
This photograph was taken from up the mountain on the Braich y Cymer side.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
This is the Aerial Ropeway just before it was demolished.
The Garw railway line taken from the bridge next to the Ffaldau Colliery.
There were 4 sets of tracks here to transport coal as well as people.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Blaengarw. The photgraph was taken by Earnest T. Bush c.1903.
Blaengarw just before the start of the reclamation scheme in 1989. It was the last valley to be reclaimed in South Wales.
Blaengarw in 1986.
One of the pylons in the aerial ropeway before it was demolished.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1986 during demolition.
Garw Colliery in 1986 before demolition.
Garw Colliery before its demolition in 1986.
Ffaldau Colliery during demolition in 1986.
Bridge Street in Blaengarw. This is the conveyor housing from the Garw Colliery crossing the street. Once upon a time trains crossed here.
Darren Colliery, Blaengarw. It was closed in 1921.
Garw Colliery before its demolition in 1986.
This is the upcast shaft.
Garw Colliery before its demolition in 1986.
There are two small lakes here now, added as part of the reclamation scheme.
Garw Colliery before its demolition in 1986.
MEN AT WORK
The last coal train from the Garw Colliery in 1986.
Ffaldau Colliery in 1955.
Garw Colliery pithead baths sign.
I took this photograph whilst the colliery was working in 1984.
Ffaldau Colliery 1945.
This is the pit I worked in (read my story here)
