CWM Coke Colliery - Wales
CWM dates back to 1909 when the Great Western Colliery Co. began sinking pits to provide steam coals for the Great Western Railway.
It wasn't until 1914 that coal was actually produced on the Colliery. All of which came from two shafts named Margaret and Mildred. Which where over 750 yards deep.
In 1928 Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries ltd. took over the colliery which then employed around 1000 men. It continued production under their name until 1947 when the
National Coal Board was established to run the nationalised coal mining industry in Britain.
Between 1952 and 1960 the colliery underwent a £9 million reconstruction scheme which included linking CWM to Coedely Tonyrefail.
By the 1970's some 1,500 men where producing 515,000 tons of coke on a yearly basis at CWM until the privatisation of the National Coal Board in 1986.
The Colliery ceased production in 1986 although there where and estimated 80 million tonnes of coal seams and reserves still there which where never tapped into.
CWM Coke was designed to centralise and maintain the production of South Wales foundry coke. The coal mined at CWM was suitable for foundry coke given its low sulphur content. CWM Colliery was closed by the National Coal Board in 1986 and the coke works ceased production in June of 2002.
As of 2020 it is now in the progress of being demolished.
The trip here wasn't an easy one as we had heard of many explorers being caught by security and his dog. Which we where close to many times, even to the point of hiding in one building for over an hour. After a very close encounter we where on edge throughout the whole visit, well I was. Once further in and on the roof of the coking plant and the sun out, time for a small lunch and to listen to the clanging of metal sheets being blown with the wind, and the dog barking at other visitors off in the distance. I really enjoyed this visit even tho I only covered a small part of the site.
