Aerial view of a coal mine chimney, Black cliff Colliery, Newgale near Nolton , Pembrokeshire, UK
The Pembrokeshire Coalfield in West Wales continuously worked from the 14th to 20th centuries. A small detached portion of the field is centred on Newgale on St Brides Bay. Coal mining in Pembrokeshire dates back at least to the early 14th century. The coal was used locally or exported by sea from local ports. It was generally high-quality anthracite, but seams were mostly thin, with the best coal only available at some depth. In 1603 George Owen of Henllys described a typical colliery as employing 16 people working from 6am to 6pm. In the 1700s collieries were employing men, women and boys for a few pence a day, rising to a shilling (for men) by 1806. By the 19th century coal mining had become an important local industry with many farmers operating mines or carting as a supplement to their income. By 1865 the coalfield was employing nearly 1,000 people. Decline began in the 19th century, with many collieries closing after 1900, but others retained a strong link between mining and agriculture. Nolton Haven Beach was once a port exporting coal from the nearby coal and culm pits dating from 1439 around Nolton and Newgale. Large sailing vessels beached here to load cargoes of coal and culm for distribution around St Brides Bay and even further afield. The cargoes were brought down to the shore by carts and wagons drawn by teams of horses and, during the late 19th and early 20th century, by traction engines towing pairs of eight-ton trailers the six miles from Haverfordwest Quay for export by sea. This mine was worked from 1850 to 1905 with a 300-foot deep shaft slanting under the sea, and a steep tramway up which the coal was winched to the top of the cliff near the coast road. Mining ended in the area before World War One because of the hazards of working under the sea, where the weight of water at high tide often broke through into the sloping shafts. There is a reserve estimated at 230 million tons of coal still unworked under St Brides Bay.
Size: 5184px × 2935px
Location: Newgale near Nolton , Pembrokeshire, UK
Photo credit: © DV Aerial / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: &, abandoned, aerial, archival, black, brick, bricks, canton, chimney, cliff, coal, coalfield, coast, coastal, coastpath, colliery, dissused, disused, haven, historucal, industrial, industry, landmark, newgale, nolton, pembrokeshire, pit, revolution, ruins, seam, stack, thomas, treffgarne, ventilation, victorian, view, wales, west
