The Industrial Archaeology of Llanhilleth, Aberbeeg and Abertillery

Abertillery at 'Industrial Monmouthshire - The Leftovers'

including Trinant, Swffryd, Llanhilleth, Abercarn, Six Bells, Cwmtillery, Blaina and Nant-y-glo

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TRINANT and PENTWYN

Trinant tramway, Crumlin incline	ST 2103 9873	This is the site of the brakehouse of the Trinant tramway incline down to Crumlin. The back wall is visible as is the incline itself, with stone embankments about halfway down.
Llanerch-Isaf Southern level	ST 2090 9910	At the end of a short incline off the Trinant tramway, marked as 'old level' on the 1901 map. The tips, incline and the site of the adit are prominent.
Llanerch-Isaf Northern level	ST 2098 9944	At the end of a very short incline off the Trinant tramway, marked as 'old level' on the 1880 map. The tips, incline and the site of the adit are beside the tramway.
Trinant Colliery	ST 2092 9965	This was the location of the main Trinant level at the end of the Trinant tramway from Crumlin, believed closed in 1897 and shown as disused by 1901. The site of this level is clear, with stained water leeching from it, the rest of the complex is under the rubbish tip.
Ton-tyr-bel Level	ST 2046 9977	A modern level, opened in 1953 by Lyndon Robinson, closed in 1973. (www.trinant.org.uk). The site is has been cleared and is occupied by stables (Oct 2010)
Ton-tyr-bel Shaft	ST 2064 9984	This shaft was linked to the main Trinant Colliery complex by an incline, now a grassy footpath. Opened after 1880 and disused with the rest of Trinant Level by 1901. The tips and bricklined shaft are next to the Ton-tyr-bel Chapel.
Ton-tyr-bel Level	ST 2075 9984	The remains of an adit are beside the stream, reported as the downcast for the shaft with another shaft known as 'Barnes' further downhill at ST 208999 (WCM).
Llanerch-Uchaf Level	ST 2100 9995	The remaining tips here are shown as an 'Old level' on the 1880 map, later known as Cefn Coed No3 (WCM).

Llanerch-Isaf Southern level 2010	Llanerch-Isaf Northern level 2010	Trinant Level 2010	Pentwyn levels and tramway 2010
Ton-tyr-bel 1960s level 2010	Ton-tyr-bel Shaft tips 2010

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SWFFRYD

Swffryd Ganol quarry	ST 2219 9924	This narrow quarry running down to (or is it up from) the village appears to be a very old. There's an unusual wall or foundation at the top end of the quarry and an embankment at the bottom.
Swffryd Ganol levels	ST 2233 9940	Small levels to the North of Swffryd Ganol Farm with tips and earthworks remaining.
Swffryd levels tramway	ST 2259 9973	The end of the original tramway from the older Swffryd levels, probably some kind of transhipment dock but not a lot to see.
Swffryd levels	ST 2256 9983	These appear to be the oldest levels predating the tramway. There are what seem to be two parallel, adjacent levels, the area in front of the Southern one is flooded, so may have been drainage, as the other leads to overgrown tips.
Swffryd levels	ST 2261 9995	These were the older levels that fed the original tramway. Quite well-defined entrances but the tips are probably under the Colliery tips and general workings
Swffryd Colliery	ST 2256 9996	The very large tip dominates the area and on the Southern flank the frame of a dram is half-buried. There are a number of adits behind the tip, it's hard to tell which belonged to the Colliery and which pre-date it. Below the tip the course of the tramway, a shallow incline, can be traced back down the hillside to Swffryd Quarry at ST 2161 9930.

Swffryd Colliery tip, 2011

Wagon frame in Swffryd Colliery
tip, 2011

Swffryd Ganol quarry

Swffryd old level tramway

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CWM CYFFIN

Cwm Cyffin Quarry	SO 2235 0129	Cwm Cyffin Quarry was active around 1901 but was disused by 1920. The quarry itself is not large but the tramway and incline connecting it to Llanhilleth are more substantial and well worth a look. The incline terminated on Blaencyffin Road at SO 2186 0093 and the brakehouse at SO 2204 0102 with a passing loop at the halfway point. The tramway passes through an earlier small quarry at SO 2218 0126.
Blaencuffin Level (Blaencuffin Isha)	SO 2297 0171	Blaencuffin Level dates from around 1832 as a later development of Cwm Cyffin Colliery. A tramway connected this and the other levels along the hillside with Cwm Cyffin. Over 170 years a number of adits existed on the site, operated by different owners as fortunes changed, the final closure of this well-known small mine coming in 2001.
Blaencuffin Uchaf level	SO 2253 0172	Some reasonable tips, foundations and an idea of the adit entrance remain
Blaencuffin minor levels and foundations	SO 2241 0173 SO 2224 0165	Minor levels and tips with loading banks alongside the tramway are fading away rapidly. Two sets of stone foundations below the tramway exist, the one at SO 2224 0165 having decidedly 'industrial' overtones.
Cwm Cyffin (Blaencuffin) (Hafod Arthen) Colliery	SO 2209 0181	Probably the site of the original Blaencuffin Colliery from 1801, also known as Hafod Arthen Colliery or Cwm Cyffin Colliery, has been closed and re-opened a number of times, finally closing in the 1960s. The site of the last adit is traceable beside the footpath to the church. There are extensive tips and the route of the incline down to Llanhilleth at SO 2204 0131 can be traced.

St ILLTYD and BRYNITHEL

Mount Pleasant Colliery	SO 2148 0143	This old complex of levels was disused by 1880 but the sites of a number can be found along the footpath behind the playing fields. Also part of the route of the incline can be followed down through the houses to SO 2136 0116.
Pen-yr-heol levels	SO 2297 0171	This operation was disused by 1880 leaving some decent tips and the route of a zig-zag tramway down from a higher tramway originating at Mount Pleasant Colliery. The site of the main adit is difficult to see but there is a small level and tips at the end of a short tramway to SO 2130 0164. An incline led down to Aberbeeg through woodland but I haven't ventured down there yet.

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LLANHILLETH and ABERBEEG TOWNS

Llanhilleth Colliery	SO 2207 0030	Llanhilleth Colliery consisted of two pits, Old Pit (or Red Ash) on the East bank of the river and New Pit on the West bank, opened in c1855 and 1865 respectively and closing in 1969. The colliery site has been completely cleared. A brick pier of the entrance road bridge to the colliery remains beside the GWR.
Llanhilleth Colliery tramway bridge	SO 2198 0032	A tramway ran from the New Pit up the Western bank of the river until c1901, crossing it on an iron bridge which has survived though much re-inforced. Just below it, on the lane to Trinant Hall, are the concrete blocks, one very large, that were the foundations of the aerial ropeway up to the tips near Trinant.
Llanhilleth Colliery pithead baths	SO 2200 0051	The pithead baths survive in 2010 but are derelict and being vandalised. So nothing unusual there, then.
Aberbeeg, Packhorse Bridge	SO 2095 0192	First recorded in 1659, the Packhorse Bridge has been repaired, renovated and generally messed about with. But underneath we're told it really is the original. Whatever the truth, it still looks the part though.
Aberbeeg, Hafod-y-dafal Farmhouse	SO 2007 0362	Webbs Brewery was the centrepiece of Aberbeeg, working from 1838 to 1969 at ST 210020 and now, more houses. An interesting relic at the derelict Hafod-y-dafal Farmhouse may have come from here. It's a cast- or wrought-iron tank made from 10 or 12 panels inscribed 'G Adlam & Sons, Engineers, Bristol'. Adlams were brewery equipment suppliers and this could have been one of Webbs brewing vats, an easy haul up the track from the Ivorites. Marian Gibson from Ontario, Canada was born at the farm in the 1930's and remembers that they collected rainwater in the old cast iron tank, for washing and bathing. The water had to be heated in a big boiler in the back kichen just near the door to the porch on the centre left of the picture.

Hafod-y-dafal watertank 2009

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ABERTILLERY

Cyril Place levels

SO 2065 0478

Cyril Place was built around 1916 to serve nearby levels. There were two to the North, the original level at SO 204049 with a tramway to the loading dock at SO 2063 0483, the later level was just above the loading dock. The course of the tramway and the tips can easily be traced. The 1901 OS map shows an 'old level' to the South of Cyril Place at SO 2071 0469. These levels appear to have formed part of the Rhiw Colbren Colliery complex.

Cyril Place levels tip 2010

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BLAINA

West Blaina Red Ash Colliery incline	SO 1927 0832	The two inclines from the colliery 'crossed' here. The colliery opened between 1880 and 1900 and originally a level tramway from the colliery at SO 1929 0800 ran to the incline which went straight down the hillside to Griffin Pit. After Griffin Pit closed, before the 1920s, a new incline took a diagonal route direct from the colliery to the Northern Trostre Pit.
Trostre Pits	SO 1933 0889 SO 1932 0909	Two pits working up to 1900 were here. Many old foundations and walls remain. The pit reservoir has survived and has a lot of rails in the area around it, some of them are of very small section. The tramway passes on quite a high embankment in front of Trostre Cottage, now a public footpath.
Glynmilwr Levels	SO 2103 0793	Series of levels above the Glynmilwr Pit at SO 2053 0806. They may be fairly modern as they don't appear on the 1938 OS map.

West Blaina Red Ash Colliery
Incline 2010

Trostre Pits reservoir 2010

Trostre Pits tramway 2010

Glynmilwr levels 2010

Photo Gallery

Many more photos of the Abertillery area are in the photo galleries :-

From Swffryd via Llanhilleth to Abertillery in The Abertillery gallery.

and from Blaina to Brynmawr in The Brynmawr gallery.

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Other Locations

A comprehensive sortable 'Excel' spreadsheet of all known sites can be downloaded here :- The Industrial Archaeology of Monmouthshire

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