Industrial Railway Society Bulletin no.983, Jan 2017, pp.10-12 provided updates on "all existing freeminers drift mines with railways" in October 2016 and listed the following:

Haywood Drift, Cinderford: operating.

Prospector Mine, Harry Hill, Fairplay: development abandoned 2014 but might reopen.

Morses Level, Mallands Pike:maintained.

Wallsend Colliery, Mallards Pike: operating.

Monument Mine, Bixslade: operating.

Phoenix Mine, Cannop: maintained but not producing.

Hopewell Mine, Cannop: operating recently.

Hopewell Museum, Cannop: now closed for winter.

New Road Level, Cannop: emergency exit to Hopewell Museum mine only.

Hamblins Gale Mine, Wimberry Slade: disused.

Buckholt Mine, Ladyslade: on care and maintenance.

Worcester Colliery, Wimberry Slade: not worked for some years.

Reddings Level, Eddys Road, Ruardean: sealed, but plans to reopen.

It is instructive to compare the above with the three collieries listed in the latest edition of "Digest of UK Energy Statistics" which was dated 2016 on the cover, published mid year, and contained on p.61 a list of collieries corrected to the Coal Authority to 31 December 2015 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes); only two Forest of Dean collieries were listed:

Monument Colliery: on care and maintenance.

Reddings Level No.2 Mine: on care and maintenance.

I believe that the reason the Coal Authority omits most Forest of Dean collieries is that most areas of this coalfield do not require licensing by the Coal Authority and, although I believe the Authority is notified of all coal production, it only lists collieries it licenses. So the number of collieries remaining in the UK is actually 14 which is almost double the 8 listed in DUKES 2016 (5 operating and 3 on care and maintenance as at 31 December 2015):

Operating (7): Ayle (Northumberland), Eckington (Derbyshire), Haywood, Hilltop, Hopewell, Monument, Wallsend - the last five are all in Gloucestershire.

On care and Maintenance (7): Aberpergwm (Neath Valley), Buckholt (Glos), Dan y Graig No.4 (Neath Valley), Morses (Glos), Nant Hir No.2 (Neath Valley), Phoenix (Glos), Reddings Level No.2 (Glos).

There is also one proposed new colliery: New Crofton Co-op Colliery (West Yorkshire).

This is really useful - thanks for the update. I'll be down in the Dean in Feb, and there's one or two of these I haven't yet come across. I'll get some pics if I can find them.

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Very pleased the info may be of use.

It would be most interesting if you could post updates on the Forest collieries as information can be difficult to come by.

As the list was specifically described as covering "all existing freeminers drift mines with railways", it raises the slight doubt that mines falling outside this description might exist but had been excluded - but I find had to believe that any are working with wheelbarrows or with conveyors. Maybe you can ask around for other collieries that might have been missed?

Good luck with your visit and I hope you have decent weather!

I think that it would be worth someone talking to
"Mole" John Hine and
Jonathan Wright.

They should have up to date knowledge
and possibly contact with the Gavellers records.

Correction to a typo in the list of operating collieries: Hilltop is in Lancashire, not Gloucestershire - apologies!

Update to the south Wales situation: it is reported on Welsh Coal Mines site that Danygraig No.4 has resumed production.

The smaller the mine, the more likely it is to open and close in response to slight market changes, so the status of most of the collieries listed should be understood to be pretty fluid.

Update to the south Wales situation: it is reported on Welsh Coal Mines site that Danygraig No.4 has resumed production.

Graigfawr, what is the current status of Aberpergwm,
mothballed, drift sealed, processing equipment scrapped, or what?
Walter Energy the firm there went bankrupt some time ago

Don't have any info from site visits, sorry, only internet gleanings.

Latest Coal Authority list of licensed collieries, published in Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2016 edition (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes page 61), with data current as at 31 December 2015, listed Aberpergwm as 'on care and maintenance'.

Latest information on Welsh Coal Mines Forum (http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,49031,64151#msg-64151) is almost as old, having being posted 24 January 2016:

" All of the JOY Continuous mining equipment is down the 9ft ready to start at the push of a button, one of the last jobs the men did before it closed last year was to take all the equipment from the workings in the 18ft down to the 9. The coal is there sitting in front of the Miner ready to be mined, literally.

As regards to the New Drift, can't remember exactly, but there was something like 1600-2000 metres left to reach the 9ft. The New Drift is now the the intake, and the original drift where the coal comes out, is now the return, the new fans at the bottom of that drift carry out the ventilation. When they were mining last year, the coal was still coming out that way, new drift wasn't connected to ang belt lines, was just for man riding only."

The above is the only significant information I've seen since the colliery went from development to care and maintenance in the summer of 2015.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04934085 
There are two issued shares, both of £1.00; the number of directors decreased from two to one in September 2016. It seems to be a dormant company.

http://www.kccllc.net/documents/1502741/1502741150728000000000016.pdf 

Energybuild Mining Ltd is owned by Energybuild Holdings Ltd, the accounts of which are overdue (https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04934473). Its paid up share capital is £112,000.

Energybuild Holdings Ltd is owned by Energybuild Group Ltd, the accounts of which are also overdue (https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05451235). This is the significant company: its paid share capital is £56.1 million, entirely held by one of Water Energy Inc's Canadian subsidiaries (see Annual Return 14 May 2014). So the restructuring underway of Water Energy Inc's Canadian subsidiaries may impact upon Aberpergwm.

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2016/02/01/walter-energy-strikes-deal-to-sell-remaining-u-s.html )

http://www.kccllc.net/walterenergy 

Presumably when the Canadian subsidiaries are sorted out, a decision will be made as to what will happen to the UK subsidiaries including what will happen to Aberpergwm.

Basically it looks as if what will happen to Aberpergwm depends on long drawn out Canadian court actions being concluded.

DUKES 2016, p.43 stated that there were 50 people employed in deep coal mines in Wales as at 31 December 2015 (the most recent data online). Nant Hir No.2 was reported on Welsh Coal Mines Forum to be employing around two dozen; Dany y Graig no.4 was operating with a small number of employees - I'd guess half a dozen based on various threads on Welsh Coal Mines Forum; so the remainder of the 50 must have been at Aberpergwm. This seems to indicate that pumping and ventilation was being maintained at Aberpergwm at that time.

Unfortunately there seems to be no clues online since the end of 2015 as to exactly what has been happening at Aberpergwm. When DUKES 2017 is published in summer 2017, the Coal Authority will update the status of the surviving UK collieries, including Aberpergwm, as at 31 December 2016.

Hope these details are useful; apologies again that I do not have on-site knowledge of what is happening at the colliery.

Unfortunately there seems to be no clues online since the end of 2015 as to exactly what has been happening at Aberpergwm. When DUKES 2017 is published in summer 2017, the Coal Authority will update the status of the surviving UK collieries, including Aberpergwm, as at 31 December 2016.

Hope these details are useful; apologies again that I do not have on-site knowledge of what is happening at the colliery.

thanks, sounds like it was production ready, but if the kit has been standing since then who knows. Strange time for coal right now, you have West Cumbria looking to start and Crofton, coking coal prices are high but I dont think the stuff in the drift there lends itself to that

Aberpergwm is Anthracite,and Welsh Anthracite still commands a high price as domestic fuel,but its the duff that is the problem,with Aberthaw due to close next year I believe,the expenditure needed to develop the new drift down to the 9ft seam is a risky venture if the market for duff has been eliminated.

Strange time for coal right now, you have West Cumbria looking to start and Crofton, coking coal prices are high but I dont think the stuff in the drift there lends itself to that

Regarding West Cumbria proposals it has been pointed out by many obeservers that the area is geologically difficult with numerous faults and rolls and is inappropriate for the extraction techniques proposed. Relatively modern NCB experience in that area was salutary.

New Crofton Co-op Colliery seems to keep putting off driving the drifts - unsurprising in view of the price of coal in the last few years. The online project progress chart was last updated March 2015 (http://www.newcroftoncoopcolliery.co.uk/the-mine/project-progress/?doing_wp_cron=1485034488.4375300407409667968750) and the last statement about beginning work was "Given the challenging state of the UK coal market at the moment we have decided to delay driving the drifts until Summer 2016" (http://www.newcroftoncoopcolliery.co.uk ).

Aberpergwm is Anthracite,and Welsh Anthracite still commands a high price as domestic fuel,but its the duff that is the problem,with Aberthaw due to close next year I believe,the expenditure needed to develop the new drift down to the 9ft seam is a risky venture if the market for duff has been eliminated.

Some south Wales anthracite opencasts have been mothballed - and that was whilst Aberthaw is still operating. If opencast anthracite is struggling then underground operations would have to achieve very low operating costs to be successful in the current state of the market.

The domestic fuel market for anthracite in 2015 was 200,000 tons (down from 254,000 tons in 2013) plus 223,000 tons used to manufacture patent fuels (down from 254,000 tons in 2013), compared to total production of 858,000 tons (down from 1.4 million tons in 2013) and imports of 102,000 tons (down from 1612,000 tons in 2013) - though this was partly offset by exports of 81,000 tons (down from 142,000 tons in 2013). (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/577712/DUKES_2016_FINAL.pdf )

I`m aware Nant Helen opencast was mothballed,but considering the Colliery workings they have unearthed and the period that site has worked since the 60`s,its a wonder there`s much coal left there.
If Selar is the other one,its debatable it was Anthracite.

New Crofton Co-op Colliery seems to keep putting off driving the drifts - unsurprising in view of the price of coal in the last few years. The online project progress chart was last updated March 2015 (http://www.newcroftoncoopcolliery.co.uk/the-mine/project-progress/?doing_wp_cron=1485034488.4375300407409667968750) and the last statement about beginning work was "Given the challenging state of the UK coal market at the moment we have decided to delay driving the drifts until Summer 2016" (http://www.newcroftoncoopcolliery.co.uk ).

New Crofton is still going ahead, but have had major challenges to overcome. Anticipated contracts to supply power stations not forthcoming, necessitating rethink on mining methods to extract coal suitable for domestic market. Proposed HS2 route & infrastructure may impinge on mine access road although New Crofton has priority of planning permission in this respect and would have to be compensated.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, with all of the other tick-list items to achieve before lawyers representing the local crested newts even deign to give their consent, its a wonder anybody has the time and energy to invest in such a project.

Hats off to everyone who has brought it this far :thumbup:

MARK

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