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© The Bonau Cabbage Patch
Pant Hywel Colliery
Pant Hywel Mine started its life as a coal mine, and in its latter years,
worked fire clay. Hidden away, its once ornate entrance guided
underground by a cast iron bridge crossing a small river is now nothing
more than a sealed tunnel way that leads into the ground. The remains
of the bridge lay in the river. The Coal Authority have sealed the access
point.
Pant Hywel level was opened in the 1890's to work pillars left in the
Hughes or Pwll Big Vein that had previously been worked by Stradey
Colliery. In the early years the mine was owned by David Jones and
later it passed into the hands of D. J. Griffiths.
Just before Christmas 1912 Eleazer Evans was killed by a fall of ground.
At the inquest held at Libanus Chapel it was stated that there were 12
men employed at the mine.
From a list 1923, there were 8 men employed, producing from the Big
Vein.
The drift entrance was accessed by a cast iron bridge across the river,
Afon Cwmmawr which flows into Carmerthen Bay only a short distance
down stream.
Pant Hywel was closed during the early 1930's for coal production but
was worked until the early 1960's to provide fire clay for the Pwll
brickworks.
Pant Hywel Iron Dram Bridge crossing Avon Cwmmawr