# A Welsh Coal Mine Bach! May 2010



## vwdirtboy (May 24, 2010)

Information on the early years of Black Barn Colliery is extremely scarce, Black Barn drifts were probably Part of the Tirpentws, Ty Gwyn and Blaen-y-cwm Collieries in the Cwm-ffrwd-oer valley near Pantygasseg in South Wales.

Black Barn Colliery is a small mine worked from around 1890 all the way up to the mid 1990's finally closing in 1994.. During the early years and up to the middle of this century the upper leaf of the Mynyddislwyn seam was worked until near exhaustion which was of the 'house coal' type with a seam thickness of some 4ft.Since the 1950's the lower leaf of the Mynyddislwyn seam was worked heavily. The mine was worked again from 2000 to 2008. Then on a somewhat sporadic basis seeming to be mothballed every few years or so. 

During its last period of activity the Cowbridge based company Metal Innovations Ltd were using Black Barn for testing and developing there new range of compact deep mining machinery, namely the Celtic Miner 4500 







There are two adits, one occupied by the conveyor system, the other by the tramway leading to an ingenious tippler that tips the whole tram and its contents.

Since being mothballed again both deep drifts are now flooded some 200m in from the entrance.





























































































































































































































Thanks for looking!


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## Parkus. (May 24, 2010)

Looks a canny place


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## professor frink (May 24, 2010)

Nice report and pictures Harv, how far in can you get before the water level stops you?


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## Parkus. (May 25, 2010)

professor frink said:


> how far in can you get before the water level stops you?





vwdirtboy said:


> both deep drifts are now flooded some 200m in from the entrance.




Did you even read the report?


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## klempner69 (May 25, 2010)

Great stuff H..you sure been busy lately!


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## Foxylady (May 25, 2010)

Fabulous mine. Love all the machinery and other remains up top. 
Did you take any 'contrivances for smoking' underground whilst searching arrangements weren't in operation?


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## vwdirtboy (May 25, 2010)

thanks gang..

Steve, its about 200m so far and its dropped quite a bit recently. i reckon as the summer goes on we should be able to get further in! 

Stu, sure have mate. gotta take it easy.. done £180 in fuel this month!


froxy.. made em' all leave fags and lighters in the car.. had our 4-gas analyzers too


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