Gyspy Lane to Graig Ddu and Pen-rhiw-fid

Graig Ddu Brickworks - SO 2542 0205

Graig Ddu Brickworks was an old-established brickworks, the National Archives have records from 1832 to 1907. It is mentioned in 1858 as the Graigddu Brick Co and around 1895 Edwin Southwood Jones, of the Danygraig brickworks in Risca, took over the operation. In 1947 Llanerch Colliery tip collapsed into the valley cutting off the railway to Blaenserchan washery and by 1962 the brickworks was disused. The clay (and some coal) was obtained from levels and c1950 employed 30 men.

D S M Barrie, the railway author, was a nephew of Edwin Southwood Jones and wrote of his memories of Graig Ddu Brickworks in 1929 :-

Graig Ddu Brickworks 1880	Graig Ddu Brickworks 1920	Graig Ddu Brickworks, pre-1947	Graig Ddu Brickworks, 1951
Graig Ddu landslip, 1947	Graig Ddu landslip, 1947	Graig Ddu landslip, 1947	Graig Ddu landslip, 1947
Graig Ddu Brickworks, 1992	Graig Ddu works Western building	Graig Ddu works Western building	Graig Ddu works Eastern building
Graig Ddu works Eastern building	Graig Ddu works Eastern building	Graig Ddu works Eastern building	Graig Ddu Brickworks from North
Brickworks GWR branch	Graig Ddu Brickworks kiln area	Graig Ddu Brickworks kiln area	Graig Ddu Brickworks yard
Graig Ddu Brickworks wagon	Graig Ddu Brickworks advert	'Graigddu British Made'	'Graigddu Nr Pontypool'
'Graigddu SJ and Co Ld Nr Pontypool'	'Graigddu SJ and Co Ld Nr Pontypool'	'Graigddu BR SJ and Co Ld Nr Pontypool'	'SJ Graigddu British Made'

Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry - SO 2506 0146

Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry is on top of the ridge overlooking Graig Ddu brickworks and the incline led down to the brickworks yard. Perhaps the quarry was a venture of the brickworks.

Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry incline, 1899	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry, 1899
Quarry incline looking down	Quarry incline looking up	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry
Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry
Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry tramway
Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry tramway	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry tramway	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry tramway	Pen-rhiw-fid Quarry tramway

Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins - SO 2500 0142

An unusual array of 8 or so bins are on the other side of the lane from the quarry. They appear to have been connected by a tramway but their exact purpose is very unclear.

Aerial view of Penrhiwfid Quarry	Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins	Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins	Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins
Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins	Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins	Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins	Penrhiwfid Quarry tips and bins
Penrhiwfid Quarry tramway	Penrhiwfid Quarry tramway		A barn beside the tips and bins

Gyspy Lane, The 'Robin Hood' and Morrison's Pit

Gypsy Lane bridge over GWR	Gypsy Lane shaft	Gypsy Lane shaft	Gypsy Lane drainage level
Robin Hood Inn
Robin Hood Inn	Robin Hood Inn	Robin Hood Inn	Robin Hood Inn 'Rhymney' sign
Morrisons Pit GWR Bridge	Morrisons Pit	Morrisons Pit	Morrisons Pit building

Greenland and Pistyll Gwyn

Greenland Colliery

Greenland Colliery from Tranch	Greenland Colliery	Greenland Colliery	Greenland Colliery air shaft
Greenland Colliery air shaft	Greenland Colliery air shaft	Greenland Colliery incline bunker	Greenland Colliery incline foot
Greenland Colliery drainage level	Greenland Colliery drainage level

Pistyll Gwyn

Pistyll Gwyn level below the lane	Pistyll Gwyn level below the lane	Pistyll Gwyn level below the lane	Pistyll Gwyn level below the lane
Pistyll Gwyn level to West	Pistyll Gwyn level to West	Pistyll Gwyn airshaft below lane	Pistyll Gwyn airshaft below lane
Pistyll Gwyn collapsed level	Pistyll Gwyn foundations

Llanerch Colliery

Llanerch Colliery - SO 2520 0240

Llanerch Colliery tips	Llanerch Colliery tips	Llanerch Colliery tips
Llanerch Colliery	Llanerch Colliery	Llanerch Colliery	Llanerch Colliery
Llanerch Colliery	Llanerch Colliery	Llanerch Colliery foundations	Llanerch Colliery from Memorial
Llanerch Colliery headgear	Llanerch Colliery yard lamp	Llanerch Colliery pipework
Llanerch Colliery main shaft	Llanerch Colliery Western shaft	Llanerch Colliery, 1973	Llanerch Colliery, 1973
Llanerch Colliery, c1895	Llanerch Colliery, c1940	Llanerch Colliery, 1964

Llanerch Colliery levels

There are (at least) three levels around Llanerch Colliery, the Northern level is above the railway to Bleanserchan and the other two are below the railway. They may have mined coal but more likely are part of the ventilation system.

Llanerch Colliery Northern level	Llanerch Colliery Northern level	Llanerch Colliery Northern level	Llanerch Colliery Northern level
Llanerch Colliery Western level	Llanerch Colliery Western level		Llanerch Colliery Eastern level

Llanerch Colliery Eastern level

Some years ago the gate to the Eastern Llanerch level was found open. The level wasn't very long but it did contain a well-preserved length of tramroad and other interesting features.

Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level
Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level
Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level
Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level
Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level
Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level	Llanerch Colliery Eastern level

Blaenserchan Colliery

Blaenserchan Colliery - SO 2440 0210

Blaenserchan Colliery was opened with one shaft in 1890 by Partridge, Jones & Co, using Llanerch Colliery as the ventilation shaft. The colliery was deepened in 1899 and a second shaft sunk in 1913. The colliery sat at the head of a narrow valley and was served by a GWR branch from Pontnewynydd and the colliery's own branch from Talywain and Big Arch in Abersychan. The Talywain line was used to transport both coal and colliers to and from Big Arch. Coal windng ceased in 1969 when an underground link to Tirpentwys and Hafodyrynys was established. In 1977 the output was transferred underground to Abertllery New Mine. Blaenserchan Colliery closed in 1985 and was demolished between March and May 1988

Anthony Boucher was on hand to capture the demolition of the colliery in 1988. His photos have their own page here :-

Blaenserchan Colliery, 1899	Blaenserchan Colliery, 1917	Blaenserchan Colliery, 1938	Blaenserchan Colliery, 1948
Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery
Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery
Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery	Blaenserchan Colliery	Aerial ropeway pylon
Power supply building	Power supply building	Blaenserchan Colliery shaft	Blaenserchan Level tips
Colliery retaining wall	Colliery retaining wall	Colliery retaining wall
Colliery pithead baths	Colliery pithead baths	Colliery pithead baths steps	Blaenserchan Colliery dram ride

Blaenserchan Colliery washery

Blaenserchan Colliery washery	Blaenserchan Colliery washery	Blaenserchan Colliery washery	Blaenserchan Colliery washery
Blaenserchan Colliery washery	Blaenserchan Colliery washery	Colliery washery retaining wall	Colliery washery trackbed
Colliery washery	Colliery washery tippler	Colliery washery tippler	Colliery washery tippler

Travellers Rest and Blaen Nant Ddu

Crossfence House

Crossfence House ruins

Crossfence House ruins

Crossfence House ruins

Abersychan Brick at Crossfence

Opencast Site

Opencast site building	Opencast site building	Opencast site building	Opencast site loading chute
Opencast site pylon base	Opencast site, 2 inch cable	Opencast site, Travellers Rest	Opencast site, Travellers Rest

Blaen Nant Ddu Farm

Blaen-nant-ddu Farm

Blaen-nant-ddu Farm

Memories of Graig Ddu Brickworks

D S M Barries memories of Graig Ddu Brickworks

Mr D S Barrie of London, one of our English members, has kindly supplied the following notes on the subject of old tramroads in Wales and Scotland. There is a tradition in my mothers family that my great-grandfather built several tramways in the early decades of the 19th century, from the valley coalpits of South Wales and Monmouthshire down to the rivers and canals. I was born near Newport, Mon, my grandfather being at one time manager of the Hennlys Colliery above Cwmbran. When he left this job he struck out on his own and bought the Graigyddu claymine near Pontypool and also established brickworks at Risca, Mon, where my mother was born. These two works are still going full-blast and are still owned by my mothers family, my father being in fact connected with them in his business.

The only purpose in reciting this family history is that all these old mines have most interesting little tramway systems. That at Graigyddu is quite extensive and consisted of two sections (1) a main line running back into the hills, underground, for nearly a mile, with various branches and (2) a steep incline about 1 in 10, worked by cables, leading up the mountain through dense wood to an old 'outcrop' gallery which produced quite good coal for about 85 years; the coal is still there but it costs too much to get out.

These two tramways, which are about 2 ft gauge, were both laid about 1830, I believe. The original sleepers were stone setts (as were commonly used at that time) and the rails cast-iron and flat-bottomed. My grandfather ripped the whole lot up when he bought the place, and since then the permanent way seems to have been relaid many times. It now consists of a mixture of various types with light steel rails and sleepers predominating. The coalmine section is of course disused but the cables are still in situ. The claymine branch is worked, to the best of my knowledge, by an old horse, though on the occasion of my last visit I and my uncle (now managing director) 'drove' one of the trains (two trucks loaded with clay weighing about 5 tons) along the underground gallery; the attempt had to be given up when I fell into a trench full of water !

The brickworks or rather one of the three owned by our family, is situated in a narrow, very steep valley which is thickly wooded on both sides. There is a Great Western single-line branch running up the valley to the well-known Tirpentyws Colliery at the top; the steepest gradient on this branch (worked by 0-6-0T standard gauge engines) is 1 in 18, there is a siding from the branch to the brickworks.

About 200 yards below the brickworks buried in the woods is a very interesting old railway relic which dates back over 100 years. This is an old tramway leading to a cable-worked incline to the Tirpentwys pit, and was used for running coal down to the valley before the GWR built their branch. The brick-built arches of an old bridge and a few pieces of old rail dating from about 1845 are still there, while one can trace the path of the track through the woods; the old incline is however, buried under refuse tipped down the side of the hill in more recent times.

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Many thanks for the use of their photographs to :- Lawrence Skuse, Dennis Hopkins