Mines of the
Shortly after nationalisation, surveyors from the new National Coal
Board produced a map of
The map clearly shows three main areas of working, with a few outlying
mines or trials. It is, however, indicative only since many workings were never
recorded. The mines in each area are shown in the following list with some
notes and probable sources of further information. The information available
from Thomas, Lerry and Wedd (see list of references) usually provides
ownership, precise location, general geology and an indication of surviving
features, buildings, tramways, railways and canals. Being chiefly in a rural
area, there are many surviving features but there have been some recent losses.
No modern survey of the industrial buildings is known but consultants for
English Heritage are at present looking at this.
Among possible survivals are the Miners Institutes at Ifton/St Martins
and Weston Rhyn, the Chaltermasters' Rooms in local pubs, eg Efel Inn at
Trefonen and Hen & Chickens at Drill (chaltermaster was a local name for
chartermaster or butty and his room, often called the Rogue's Hole, was where
he distributed the miners' wages on a Saturday night). Other remains include
cottages, converted mine buildings, waste heaps, tramways and canals. The
miners institute for the St Martins miners was said to be one of the finest.
Built in 1931, it had rooms for reading, games and billiards, a hall for
entertainments and dancing and a library. Outside there was a
Geologically, the mines are considered to be in two separate coalfields,
those from Daywall northwards are in the Denbighshire Coalfield (southern part)
and those south of Oswestry are in the Oswestry Coalfield proper. In the
following list, the mine abandonment plans are in order of location, the date
of abandonment is shown in brackets, eg (AP 1890). The date may not be the date
of closure since it could indicate the cessation of work in a seam or be the
date the plan was sent in, some years after a mine stopped production.
1. St Martins Area
a) Chirk Bank. Believed to be the scene of a canal embankment collapse
in 1816, it dammed the river downstream causing the flooding of many pits in
the valley. No lives were lost but the horses perished.
b) New Chirk Bank.
c) Flannog. Northernmost mine in
d) Ifton Rhyn Nos.1 & 2. Listed in 1860, Lord Trevor's "St
Martins Pit". Was standing in 1891, shafts 210ft deep.
e) Ifton No.3 (Brynkinalt Colliery). Originally a shallow sinking in
1871, closed before 1891, re-opened and deepened as Gertrude Pit about 1914.
Produced coal from 1921. Largest pit ever in
2. Weston Rhyn Area
a) Lodge or Preesgwyn, Furnace, Hall. Listed in 1860, also in 1891
(shafts 525ft and 354ft deep), furnace ventilated, used ponies and donkeys for
haulage. Connected to the railway, closed about 1890 (AP 1890 - plans nos. 2710,
14905).
b) Moreton Hall Nos.1 & 2, Hall, Preesgwyn. Connected to canal and
railway (see Ref.6) by tramway. 160yds deep to Main Seam (AP 1867, 1871 - plan
nos. 14642, 14904).
c) Quinta or Trehowell. Listed in 1860, 37yds down to Main Seam (AP
1878, 1889 -plan nos. 1118, 2361).
3. Whittington Area
a) Daywall. Two shafts sunk 1875-76, 330ft deep, it is believed that
they never produced coal. Several more recent borings for coal have been made
in this area.
4. Oswestry Area
a) Allmands (Coed-y-Go) [near Llywnynymaen] No.1 & 2 (Savins, New or
British), Nos.3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Clays No.3, Dog, Old Dog, Dongey, New,
Partridge or Gate, Rogers, Speedwell. Many pits in this complex opened by the
Croxons and others in 1820s and 1830s. Listed in 1860 as "British",
shown as "coal pits" on 1840s OS map (AP 1865, 1867 - plan no.
14903).
b) Drill, Sweeney, Gronwen (Barnfield). Gronwen sunk c.1836, Sweeney
1842 or earlier, became the most important pit in later years in Oswestry area
employing about 100 in 1860s. Tramway to canal at Redwith. Listed in 1860,
closed 1879. Brick and tile works adjoined. Sweeney was most easterly shaft in
the coalfield and is shown on 1840s OS map (plan no. 15009).
c) Old Gronwen [south of Llywnymapsis Farm]. Leases of colliery survive
dated 1730, still working in 1808. Brick and tile works adjoined.
d) Gwerni. 250yds south of the British Shaft (see Allmands above) in a
fault zone, only reached the shallowest seam.
e) Hen & Chickens. Near Drill Colliery and close to an inn of that
name (now closed?).
f) Llywynymaen. At least 140 colliers employed in 1798, only colliery in
whole of
g) Penylan [near Penylan Mill]. Sunk by Croxons about 1825, had to close
about 1850 when water from flooded Llywynymaen Colliery rose and flooded it.
Still listed in 1860s.
h) Pwll-y-Glouge. Sunk during early working of Trefor Clawdd Colliery.
I) Radfield [ west of Llywnymapsis Farm].
j) Roberts [near Llywnymapsis Farm]. Part of Drill Colliery complex,
close to an important fault.
k) Trefor Clawdd. At least 70 colliers employed in 1798, several old
shafts, owner supplied food to miners during 1801 famine, closed 1830s.
l) Trefonen No.1 & 2. Last substantial pit to close in Oswestry area
about 1890 (AP 1891).
m) New Trefonen [north of Trefonen village, lose to Poverty Cottages].
Opened 1881, closed 1891 (AP 1886 - plan no. 2619).
n) Old Trefonen. Listed in 1860, working in 1869, closed finally in 1886
due to flooding (AP 1880).
o) Tan-y-Coed, Tynycoed. This was one of the old Trefor
Clawdd pits, it is said to have worked cannel as well as coal and was
"drowned out" about 1820.
Two other documented sites during the 1780s to 1830s were :-
p) Llwynymapsis. This was between Sweeney and British pits. Two members
of the owning family, both solicitors, were hanged for forgery in 1789.
q) Tynytwmpath. A very old pit still being leased but not working in the
1870s.
Buildings from both (p) and (q) survived in the 1940s as housing and
outbuildings (Thomas 1939). They may still survive.
Full shaft sections are available for Preesgwyn 588ft, Moreton Hall
640ft, Daywall 330ft, Coed-y-Go (Sewins Shaft) 343ft and Drill (Sweeneys Shaft)
503ft. Individual seam depths are available for many other shafts. Wedd (1929)
also describes the location and geology of the following collieries, pits and
shafts: Barnfield, British, Chirk Bank, Clays, Coed-y-Go, Daywall, Dog, Drill,
Gate, Gronwen, Gerni, Hen & Chickens, Llwynynymaen, Lodge, Moreton Hall,
New, New Trefonen, Old Trefonen, Partridge, Penylan, Preesgwyn, Quinta,
Roberts, Savin's New, Sweeney, Trefor Clawdd, Trefonen, Tynycoed. He makes
reference to Ifton and Ifton Rhyn but this northern area is covered by the Memoir
and Sheet "The Country around Wrexham".
The abandonment plans and other deposited plans may now be inspected,
along with an up to date catalogue, at the Coal Authority, Mining Records Dept,
The
The Oswestry Coalfield was very active and it is actually an extension
of the Denbighshire Coalfield. The most famous pit was Ifton Colliery at St
Martins, which was a very large colliery for