Nantgarw Colliery

Craig Yr Allt Colliery was situated south of Nantgarw village. However, whenever the River Taff flooded, water frequently entered its workings, and it was abandoned in 1878. ==Development==

Thomas Taylor of Pontypridd began the development of Nantgarw colliery in May 1910, The sinking of the twin shafts in 1911 reached the coal seam at a depth of more than in 1915, placing them below sea level, making Nantgarw the deepest pit to be sunk in the South Wales Coalfield up to that time. ==Production==

Connected to the Rhymney Railway via the Coryton Line, the mine was sold to the Taff Rhondda Navigation Steam Coal Co in 1924. The 850 men were redeployed in 1927 after geographical difficulties were encountered and the pit abandoned. Bought by Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co Ltd, following further development attempts it was put into "care and maintenance." and the unit merged with Windsor Colliery, Abertridwr, Caerphilly from 1975. By 1979, the combined Nantgarw/Windsor Colliery employed around 650 men, producing over 4,000 tons of coal per week and making a profit of over £0.5 million. ==Coking ovens==

The coke ovens and by-product plant were opened in 1951, as part of the NCB's modernisation of the regional and national coal industry. The plant produced both furnace and foundry coke for the steel industry. Both for the Welsh industry (then Ebbw Vale, Llanwern, and Port Talbot) and abroad, including Romania. Smokeless coal briquettes for the domestic market, branded Phurnacite, were stored at Nantgarw awaiting sale after being produced at the Phurnacite works at Abercwmboi in the Cynon Valley. ==Closure==

The whole coal production and coking works unit lost £7 million in 1981, employing: 142 on development; 131 on the coalface; 197 below the ground; 101 on the surface. In 1982 output declined steeply as a major coal seam at Windsor became unworkable, while in 1984 an overtime ban led directly to the 1984/5 UK miners strike spreading to South Wales. Although profitable post the strike, both sites of the whole unit closed as part of the NCB regional review on 6 November 1986. ==References==