History and Myths of the Gwyddon Valley

On the 11th September 1878 Abercarn (Prince of Wales) Colliery suffered the worse mining disaster in the UK up to that date, when 268 men and boys were killed in an explosion of methane gas. 

 Shortly after midday, the inhabitants of the valley were startled by the reverberation of three distinct explosions, followed by the sight of fierce flames and dense smoke issuing from the mouth of the shaft. The colliery’s steam whistle blew, signalling an emergency and in a remarkably short space of time the roads leading to the pit were crowded with men, women, and children hastening to ascertain what had happened. Search parties were organised without delay.

The rescue was hampered by the fact that the explosion had caused significant damage to mine’s roadways and supporting timber structures, the shaft was full of smoke and overturned trams were strewn all around. By the faint light of the safety lamps rescuers saw dead human bodies intermingled with those of horses, but incredibly there were survivors. Badly shook and severely burned, 82 colliers were drawn up the shaft to the safety of the open air. But the rejoicing of those outside was short-lived, as most of the survivors were suffering from the effects of the toxic after-damp and death soon released them from their sufferings.

The cause of the disaster was assumed to have been the ignition of firedamp by a safety lamp and it is the third worst for loss of life to occur within the South Wales Coalfield. 

  Due to the uncontrollable fires raging underground the whole mine was flooded and most of the 268 bodies still lie today where they died. 

(One skeleton was uncovered some 27 years later complete with working clothes and boots)

Oliver Lovell who was a collier at the neighbouring colliery shared his story of attempting to rescue the survivors by going down the Cwmcarn pit.

Did you know that the Gwyddon Valley was used as a Firing / Rifle Range?

Its true…… the Firing / Rifle Range was used from the time of the Napoleonic Wars  (1800 – 1815). It was thought that the range was used mainly by the Pontypool Militia to practice the use of small gauge cannon and rifle target practice with rifles.

The OS Map of 1875 shows the range as ‘Disused’ which would tend to suggest that it used for sometime before this. It is also shown on later  OS maps (including the 1968 OS map shown below. which still has details from the 1930’s and World War 1) suggesting it was again used at a later date. This may confirm memories from our older members of the community stating they had been told it was used during both the Boer War and World War 1.

The firing was carried out from the Gwyddon Road side of the Valley. Somewhere between the Top of Gwyddon Road and the Forestry Houses. The Target areas were on the opposite side of the valley and can still be clearly seen if you follow the path from the Rhyswg Road up into the Valley. Travelling in this direction, just down off the left hand side of the path you will notice a number of flat 'shelves' which were dug into the mountainside (varying between 10 - 25yds in length) with the earth banked up at each end. 

This area was know to Locals as “up the Target”. We have also provided photographs of some very old ammunition shells found around the firing range area.