South Wales Coalfield - Exploitation of The Coalfield

Exploitation of The Coalfield

Communications along the valley floors provided the main routeways for exporting coal south to ports and docks such as Newport Docks, Cardiff Docks and Barry Docks. Early activity was mainly by levels or adits driven into coal seams from outcrops in the valley sides. Development of the coalfield proceeded very actively from about 1850, when deep mining become significant in the previously entirely rural Rhondda Valley. Tramway-fed canals such as the Swansea Canal and Glamorganshire Canal were supplemented, and then superseded, by the development of numerous competing railway branches which fed docks principally at Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Llanelli and Barry. These towns grew dramatically as a result. Later colliery shafts were sunk as deep as 800 Yards (732 Metres) in order to reach the thicker, better quality seams.

The coal industry engendered many serious mining accidents, which included Britain's worst at Senghenydd, claiming 439 lives, and others at Abercarn, Risca, in the Rhondda Valleys, in the Cynon Valley, Tondu and Aberbeeg, culminating in the Aberfan disaster. Some collieries, e.g., Morfa Colliery, near Port Talbot, Glamorgan, and Black Vein Colliery, Risca, Monmouthshire, suffered three disasters before their closure on safety grounds. The main problem was firedamp explosions, often followed by ignition of coal dust.

Iron ore was also extracted from the coal measures, principally from the north crop area (including Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenavon). The availability of coal and nearby limestone (as a flux) gave rise to a substantial local iron and steel industry which was perpetuated in the 20th century by the location of modern steelworks at Ebbw Vale, Newport and Cardiff and Port Talbot. These used imported iron ore.