Pant Hwyel Mine started its life as a coal mine, and in its latter years, worked fire clay. Hidden away, its once ornate entrance guided underground by a cast iron bridge crossing a small river is now nothing more than a sealed tunnel way that leads into the ground. The remains of the bridge lay in the river. The Coal Authority have sealed the access point, and internally, this mine is a mess.
Copied without shame from an online source:
Pant Hywel level was opened in the 1890's to work pillars left in the Hughes or Pwll Big Vein that had previously been worked by Stradey Colliery.
In the early years the mine was owned by David Jones and later it passed into the hands of D. J. Griffiths.
Just before Christmas 1912 Eleazer Evans was killed by a fall of ground. At the inquest held at Libanus Chapel it was stated that there were 12 men employed at the mine.
From a list 1923, there were 8 men employed, producing from the Big Vein.
The drift entrance was accessed by a cast iron bridge across the river, Afon Cwmmawr which flows into Carmerthen Bay only a short distance down stream. Sadly the bridge has been taken away but the drift entrance remains.
Pant Hywel was closed during the early 1930's for coal production but was worked until the early 1960's to provide fire clay for the Pwll brickworks.