Mr. Begg
sank the first two pits at Llwynypia
from 1861 for a company run by Archibald
Hood. Hood purchased Trealaw colliery
and he renamed it Llwynypia No.
3. Nos. 2 and 3 were used for winding
and No. 1 was the upcast.
In the early 1870's another two
shafts were sunk, No. 5, which became
the upcast for No. 3 and No. 4 for
pumping, later No. 6 was added.
By this time the company went by
the name the Glamorgan Coal Company.
No. 3 pit worked the No. 3 Rhondda
seam and the coal it produced supplied
the collieries coking plant, where
high quality "Hoods Coke"
was manufactured. Later when the
No. 3 Rhondda seam became exhausted,
a level was driven close to the
No. 5 pit to work the No. 2 Rhondda
seam.
The colliery was also famous for
making bricks. Women using hand
moulds produced up to 10,000 per
day.
In 1896, No. 3 House coal and Nos.
1, 2 and 6 steam coal employing
a workforce of 2,331 in total.
The Cambrian Combine Company took
over the running of the colliery
in 1907.v By 1913 the number employed
here had increased to 3,907.
A disaster occurred at this colliery
in 1932 killing eleven men and boys.
Only Nos. 1 and 2 pits remained
open by 1938 employing 560 men.
The Glamorgan Colliery was known
locally as 'The Scotch' after the
Scottish miners brought to the area
by Archibald Hood in 1862.
With the Miners' Library and Institute
on the right. It was later
integrated into the Cambrian Combine
and was the scene of violent clashes
during the Tonypandy
Riots of 1910-11.
The Library has recently been demolished
and all that is left is a statue
of Archibald Hood, pointing to what
was his creation
The colliery closed in August 1945
but was maintained for pumping until
1966.
The pumphouse
is still standing and, even though
it is classed as a protected building
of historical importance it is slowly
falling apart.