Lewis Merthyr Colliery, Ynyshir 1900

The hamlets of Fairoak and Cwm George are in the background. 

David and John Thomas had sunk the Hafod pit in 1850, but it was abandoned because of geological problems before any coal was produced. J. Calvert and Rowlands were listed as the owners in 1869.

William Thomas Lewis (later Lord Merthyr) had sunk the "Bertie" shaft by late 1880, a year later a second shaft "Trefor" was sunk. The shafts were name after his two sons. At this time the Colliery was known as Merthyr Navigation.

In 1896, there were 599 men employed at Hafod colliery and 778 at the Bertie pit each producing Steam Coal and there were 754 employed at the Trefor pit producing House Coal.

During the late 1890's the owners had become Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Limited and it had developed into a unit with four winding shafts (including Coedcae and Hafod), with a total weekly output averaging 20,000 tons.

By 1908 there were 1,053 men employed at Bertie pit and 1,066 at the Trefor pit and and the annual output reached 1.500.000 tons per year.

In 1918 Bertie and Trefor pits employed 1,792 men, Coedcae 556 and Hafod Nos. 1 and 2 1,496.

In 1929 Powell Duffryn became the new owners. In the same year Coedcae ceased winding coal followed in 1930 by Hafod No.2 and in 1933 Hafod No.1 also closed.

By 1937 approx 1,300 miners were working at Lewis Merthyr.

During 1945 Bertie and Trefor pits employed 1433 men between them.

On 22nd November 1956 an accumulation of gas exploded killing 9 men and badly injuring 12 others. 

In 1958 Lewis Merthyr was merged with Tymawr Colliery and all coal produced was raised at Tymawr. 

Both Collieries closed in July 1983.