Pencae)r Eithin Colliery (Later known as Llandybie Colliery)

JOHNNY JARVIS

The colliery was situated about a mile from the centre of the village ofLlandybie. Access was by means of a footpath through the fields where the Gorsedd Circle now stands, passing Piode Fawr Farm on the way. Tarmacad am was laid on the footpath in later years. Other accesses were from Pentregwenlais and Pontlash along the railway line which conveyed lime from Glangwenlais Quarry. This line also carried trucks of coal from the colliery to Gulston Junction Siding, from where they were taken by the main-line; engines to Swansea Docks for distribution to customers in France and other places.
Prospecting began around 1900 by a Mr. Morris, landlord of the Red Lion, and some local miners. The first drift was driven towards Castell-y-Graig and several other small drifts were driven to probe for coal. These drifts were in a field covered by a profusion of yellow flowers, hence the name 'Eithin'. In 1904, the first tram of coal weighing 18 cwts. was raised. Later a drift was driven towards the west and this became known as the No. 3 drift, but the main slant of the colliery was opene;.d towards the south. Both slants were in full production by 1913. The seams worked at the slants were Lower Pumpcwart, Lower Trichwant and Stanllyd.
Price lists were drawn up for piecework working and the price paid t<?lthe
rminers tor cutting and filling large coal was 3/- per ton and 2/3d per ton for through coal.
The coal produced at the colliery was Grade A top quality anthracite which was purchased by Burton Brewers for malting purposes.
In 1912, the colliery was purchased by Cleeves Western Valleys Coal Company and in 1923 was merged with other collieries, when Sir Alfred Mond promoted a million pound scheme, to become known as the Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited. On the 1st January, 1947, the collieries were nationalised and came under the management of the National Coal Board.
Pencae'r Eithin was managed by several Managers over the years the longest serving being Mr. Idris James, Dolwerdd, Gelly Road, Llandybie.
At one time the colliery produced special hand-cut blocks of co l weighing around 12 cwts., which were brought to the surface, trimmed and pplished and placed in special boxes which were made at the colliery and sent off to exhibitors in places such as the Crystal Palace in London, Italy, France and Bangkok.
The colliery was closed from 1940 to 1943, when its main customer 
France - was occupied by the German forces. Some of the miners found work in neighbouring collieries and some in the ammunition factory at Pembrey, while others were forced to move to England to work in the construction of aerodromes, ete. All, of course,'were anxious to return to work at Pencae.
The colliery reopened in 1943. Soon afterwards a canteen was built, the opening ceremony being performed by the oldest miner - Mr. Will Beynon - on the 1st October, 1944. Later, pit-head baths were installed. Bo:t;J1 these improvements were warmly welcomed by the miners, who were very happy to be back in the friendly atmosphere which existed in the colliery. It was considered to be a family pit, where good comradeship prevailed and everyone was willing to lend a helping hand to a fellow worker. A welfare Fund was set up by the miners at the pit, in order to help workmates who were ill or had suffered bereavement.
In December 1958, Pencae'r Eithin was closed and 550 miners were given termination notices. Most found work in neighbouring pits such as Betws, Pantyffynnon, Wernos and Mount Colliery, Ammanford; other collieries in the area such as Caerbryn, Pwllylord, Pontlash, Tyuchaf, Tirydail and Pontyclerc having already been closed. In 1990, the only colliery still operating in the area is Betws, with opencast mining having taken over the sites of the old collieries.
As far as Pencae'r Eithin is concerned, there is no trace of the colliery - not even a stone to show that it ever existed, the whole area having been grassed over after the completion of opencast operations.