Ocean Western Colliery Deaths

The sinking of the two shafts was commenced in 1872 by David Davies, Llandinam, the founder of the Ocean Collieries Ltd. The first coal was raised in 1876.

The downcast shaft was 15 feet in diameter. The upcast shaft, 14 feet in diameter was named the Edward Pit after David Davies’ son and only child. On the 07th December 1874, during the sinking operations an explosion of methane gas in the “Edward’s Pit” killed five men.

In 1874 the colliery was known as the Blaenogwr Colliery and shortly afterwards was officially named the Ocean Western Colliery; the name included “Western” to distinguish this colliery from the company’s Ocean Eastern Colliery at Cwmparc in the Rhondda Valley.

The First Aid Medical Centre, opened on 13th April 1933 was one of the earliest in South Wales.

The Ocean Western colliery was merged with the Wyndham Colliery in 1965 to form the Wyndham/Western Mine.