Penallta Colliery could be considered as the single most important colliery in South Wales – not just in terms of the place itself, but also what it represented.
At its peak in the early 20th century, Penallta was one of the largest and most important pits in South Wales, employing 3,208 men in 1931. The colliery was established during 1906-9 and was one of the high-tech ‘super pits’ of its day.
The inter-war years saw Penallta consolidate its position. It was one of the most productive pits in Britain, producing more than 3,000 tons of coal a day and regularly breaking national and European output records at this time. Its maximum production figure was reached in 1930, when 2,808 men produced 975,603 tons of saleable coal.
Penallta was built by the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company, the largest coal mining company in both South Wales and Britain.
At its peak, the company owned more than 70 collieries in South Wales and accounted for about one-third of the coalfield’s output.
Penallta was the ‘jewel in the crown’ for Powell Duffryn, a status it retained right up until the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947.
Penallta was consistently one of the company’s most profitable pits during the inter-war years: alongside Britannia and Bargoed collieries, also in the Rhymney Valley, it played a key role in underpinning the company’s performance through its low-cost production of vast amounts of high quality steam coal.
Located a short distance away from the company’s headquarters in Tredomen, Ystrad Mynach, Penallta was Powell Duffryn’s ‘showcase pit’, intended to be one of the best and most modern collieries to be found anywhere in Europe.
At its peak in the early 20th century, Penallta was one of the largest and most important pits in South Wales, employing 3,208 men in 1931. The colliery was established during 1906-9 and was one of the high-tech ‘super pits’ of its day.
The inter-war years saw Penallta consolidate its position. It was one of the most productive pits in Britain, producing more than 3,000 tons of coal a day and regularly breaking national and European output records at this time. Its maximum production figure was reached in 1930, when 2,808 men produced 975,603 tons of saleable coal.
Penallta was built by the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company, the largest coal mining company in both South Wales and Britain.
At its peak, the company owned more than 70 collieries in South Wales and accounted for about one-third of the coalfield’s output.
Penallta was the ‘jewel in the crown’ for Powell Duffryn, a status it retained right up until the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947.
Penallta was consistently one of the company’s most profitable pits during the inter-war years: alongside Britannia and Bargoed collieries, also in the Rhymney Valley, it played a key role in underpinning the company’s performance through its low-cost production of vast amounts of high quality steam coal.
Located a short distance away from the company’s headquarters in Tredomen, Ystrad Mynach, Penallta was Powell Duffryn’s ‘showcase pit’, intended to be one of the best and most modern collieries to be found anywhere in Europe.
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