Location:

Rhymney Valley, Rhymney Valley

Sunk:

1909

Closed:

1985

Fraught with financial problems during the initial years of production due to missing out on the 'choicest' mineral leases having already gone, the company were forced to go very deep only to find the geology of the area very disturbed. This did not stop the employment of 2,300 men in 1923. March 1933 saw widespread rioting in Bedwas resulting in the arrest of two women charged with taunting blacklegs going to work - a crowd also attacked the police station.

By mid-1933 1,300 'scabs' were working at Bedwas and working conditions seriously deteriorated with 80 men staying down the North Pit on 3 September 1936 in support of the south Wales Miners Federation. Following the threat for further widespread action the SWMF regained it's recognisation at Bedwas. Maximum output consisted of 675,000 tons in 1939 and when the colliery was closed by the National Coal Board in 1985 just 615 men remained at the colliery. On 27 March 1912 at 11.30am an explosion killed three miners and injured another nine.