A Photograph of Fernhill Colliery, Blaenrhondda 1949 from My Tribute to the Rhondda


This colliery was sunk by Ebenezer Lewis of the Fernhill Colliery Company between 1869 and 1871. Two men were killed in a shaft accident here in 1874, when the stage, on which they were working collapsed, they fell into the sump and were drowned. By 1880 it was owned by George Watkinson & Sons, who also owned the nearby Fernhill levels. During the early 1890's it became linked underground to the nearby North Dunraven colliery. I n 1896 there were 537 employed at Fernhill Nos. 1 and 2 pits, producing Steam coal and at Fernhill levels there were 91 employed producing House coal. Later along with Tynewydd, Blaenrhondda, and Moscow Level it became under the ownership of Fernhill Collieries Ltd. who run this group until Nationalisation in 1947. By 1920 the workforce at Fernhill had grown to 1,127 men. This same year Fernhill No. 5 pit was sunk. In 1938 there was a total of 1,712 men working at Fernhill Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 pits, by 1945 the workforce numbered 1,253. During 1962 the No's. 1, 2 and 4 shafts were filled, leaving shafts 3 and 5, which were later linked to the Tower Colliery situated on the other side of the Rhigos mountain forming a single unit, employing around 860 men. Nos. 3,4 & 5 shafts are in foreground. The washery is behind No.5 headgear, which is nearest. On left hand side of railway track Nos. 2 & 1 shafts can be seen. On mountainside are Fernhill houses. Fernhill was closed in 1982.