Harris Navigation: 1872.E2.80.931893 Deep Navigation Colliery

the view fox street, treharris, entrance gate deep navigation colliery. photograph taken during 1984 miners’ strike, in july 1984

in 1800s, mineral lease granted on 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of land, owned 3 farms: twyn-y garreg; pantanas; cefn forest. group of businessmen, led frederick w. harris, began negotiations rights mineral lease, acquired in 1872. nothing existed in area @ time, except 3 farms , outbuildings, plus quiet river taff bargeod , small forest on slopes above valley.

with proposed name of harris navigation steam coal company, development commenced construction row of temporary small houses, built families , men employed sink pit. named twyn-y-garreg huts, had wooden frames covered whitewashed hessian walls. house no.1 specially created minnett family of 2 adults , ten children, , had 4 bedrooms. remainder classical 2 up/2 down room formation terraced-style houses, kitchen , parlour on ground floor, , 2 bedrooms upstairs. heating came coal fire placed under stone or brick chimney stack, , huts completed slate roofs. materials huts construction came locally obtained resources within bounds of mineral lease, including development of firestone quarry north of colliery site. new development called harris town in welsh, or treharris.

construction of main shafts began in october 1872, sinking commencing in february 1873. due required depth of shafts access coal seams, operation prove both expensive , dangerous, , create lifelong operational need continually extract water due high levels of ingress. 167 men of construction crew not paid on time on number of occasions, final construction costs in may 1878 running on £300,000, , 7 men having lost lives. 2 shafts built 180 feet (55 m) apart: north depth of 649 yards (593 m); south 760 yards (690 m). 200 yards (180 m) deeper other colliery in south wales coalfield @ time, allow access 9 feet seam.

before coal extracted commercially, surface buildings required completed. included installation of 2 john fowler & co. winding machines, , forest cleared, wood stored pit props. finally, river taff bargeod enclosed in 0.3 miles (0.48 km) tunnel constructed of bricks made collieries quarry, enabling water ingress mine reduced, , slag heaps placed on resultant new land.

the first commercial coal raised @ north pit 1879, , 1881 both shafts raising coal. point colliery company deep in debt. reason funding had been forthcoming shareholders, commercial backers , banks due potential high quality of coal extracted, , proved. depth of shafts , quality of steam coal extracted hence earned colliery 2 nicknames in south wales coalfield: deep navigation , ocean colliery .

water ingress

due shaft depth, major problem mine throughout life water ingress, reported maximum ingress during operational life of 1,000 imperial gallons (4,500 l; 1,200 us gal) entering pit every minute.

after first commercial coal extracted in 1879, colliery started construction of cornish beam engine, capable of extracting on 200 imperial gallons (910 l; 240 us gal) stroke. supplied perran foundry of truro, water lifted in stages different levels, until reached surface , dispersed pit pond located north of colliery.

later, mine engineer castell created famous deep navigation “castle.” man-made cavern hewn hand solid rock, built store water removal. located adjacent north pit shaft, 70 yards (64 m) long, 30 yards (27 m) wide , 5 yards (4.6 m) high. inside installed electric sump pump, connected surface pipe spilled same pit pond beam engine.