Hi, I'm searching for information about where my 2nd Great Grandfather worked. I have noticed that many of the mines were not started until after he died in 1843. He lived in Lower Cwm and was recorded as a collier in 1841. I think that the Blaendare Drift looks likely but some information suggests that mining there started 1865???

The number of collieries (of various sizes, from employing 10 or fewer up to several hundred) in the area is staggering.

Here's a start for you, if you wanted to have a look at some mapping for the area :

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=51.69010&lon=-3.05015&layers=6&b=1 

Just on that one map for that close area, there are the Glyn Collieries, 'Old coal level', Balance pit, 4 x 'old Ironstone level' (often coal mines too), Cwm Lickey collieries (disused), 'coal drift', 'new vein level' (disused), and a number of 'old shafts'
And all that is within half a mile or so of Blaendare brickworks, and what's listed on one map, from one date.
Before 1872, it wasn't a legal requirement to file mine abandonment plans - lots of smaller workings were never properly recorded.

Another good mapping site is the Coal Authority site - just to give you an idea of the number of mine entrances (adits, shafts, air shafts, etc) they've got recorded :
https://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html 

Search for 'Pontypool', and you want the area just south and west of Pontypool itself (you should be able to marry that map up with the other one). If you select 'Coal mining data' instead of 'Planning', and then tick the 'Mine entry' box and zoom in then you'll see just how many there are in the area.

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Edit: Apologies, I'd been stupid and jumbled 2 quite different posts. I've deleting my previous nonsense here about exploration. Please ignore me. Sorry!

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Erm, the OP is looking for information about the pit where their ancestors worked, not to actually go and try to explore it...

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Yes, thank you, Rob. I have explored several sites. I think Cwm Lickey (Cwm Luce) or Cwm Uwe are the most likely - they seem to be included under Blaendare Drift or Blaendare Slope. It is the dates that I'm struggling with but, as you say, much was not recorded that early so that may be as close as I can get.

Thanks again