Gilfach Goch, Colliery c.1955
Photo ref: G177030
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Photo ref: G177030
Photo of Gilfach Goch, Colliery c.1955

More about this scene

Evan Evans, a monoglot Welshman, started coal mining here during the latter part of the 19th century. A farmer in the Neath valley who had moved to Merthyr, and had worked as a haulier and later a collier, he ran the Six Bells public house and brewery. In 1862 he opened the Six Bells coal level. He built rows of houses with gardens for his employees. At the time of his death, 400 workers were employed by him at Dinas Main Colliery. Note the extensive mine-workings and the railway trucks in the foreground.

Memories of Gilfach Goch, Colliery c1955

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. These memories are of Gilfach Goch, Colliery c.1955

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i was born in 1943 in Gilfach, it was wartime and dad was overseas, mum pregnant left oxford and went home to have me, nan was Elizabeth Harris and lived in the high street, her husband Bill Harris died in Galipoli in the first world war, mums brother Bill Harris was a soldier and captured at duncerk, I used to go to Gilfach when I could as I am a Welshman abeit with a Devon accent, over the last 30 years I have been ...see more
My nan and grandad lived in Gilfach Goch at 14 Thomas Street, they had 5 sons and 3 daughters, they moved away after nan died sometime after 1934. Nan's name was Harriet E Bevan, grandad, William Wakefield. Grandad did not want his sons to go down the mines in Gilfacg Gorch, this was a main reason grandad left the area. I have several times visited Gilfach and specially to Thomas Street and where Nan is buried in ...see more
Have just come back from a visit to Gilfach Goch, it looks so different now. I wonder if anyone out there remembers my late husband and I living in an old caravan at the top of Holly Street? We held some meetings for children in Moriah Chapel and later up the valley in the now defunct Calfaria (I think it was). Mrs Evans had a little shop in her parlour in Oak Street and her daughter Megan lived next ...see more
Dai 'the Globe' was friendly with Briyn Williams, Ifor Rees, David Alford. We all used to meet at the Coronation Ballroom, Coronation Road. This was the main meeting place for us all. We would listen to the Four Aces and dance the foxtrot, rumba and waltz, although the boys would be more interested in having a drink than dancing. The Globe usually had better films than the Workman's Hall - run by my father, T B ...see more