Pochin Colliery

Location:Tredegar, Sirhowy Valley, South Wales

This pit was operated and sunk by the Tredegar Iron Company and was named after one of their directors, Henry Davis Pochin.

Although the first sod was cut in 1876 sinking was abandoned until 1880. The first tubs of coal were raised in 1881. At this time the colliery consisted of the North and South Pits (shafts).

A minor pit disaster is recorded for the colliery on Saturday 8th November 1884 when 14 out of 15 men on shift at the time were killed by an explosion together with all of the pit's 43 ponies which were stabled underground.

By 1888 the colliery was working the Big Vein and Yard Seams (Rank 301a prime coking coals) and mining conditions are described as being good. In 1897 a washery was installed to reduce product ash contents and to increase product marketability.

By 1916 the pit was employing 1,693 men and were supplying coal for local land sale and admiralty and other steam coal contracts etc.

By 1935 Pochin was the largest of TIC's South Wales collieries employing 1,409 men underground and 166 men on the surface. The colliery's annual saleable output for that year was 420,000 tons.

In 1947 operation of Pochin Colliery was vested in the newly established NCB's South West Division, Area No.6 (Monmouth), Tredegar Group. By this time its work force had reduced to 711 men underground and 181 men on the surface. Seams worked at this time included the Meadow Vein, Old Coal and Upper Rhas Las.

By 1960 manpower levels had fallen to a total of 582 and saleable output reduced to a mere 92,566 tons per annum. The colliery closed in 1964.

For more details of the colliery's history reference should be made to Vol. I page 551 and Vol.II pages 419 & 420 of Ray Lawrence's "The South Wales Coalfield Directory". Private Publication 1998.

Hope this of some use,

Mark.