North Risca Colliery
North Risca Colliery is a building in Mynyddyslwyn, Monmouthshire.
North Risca Colliery, originally established as the Black Vein Colliery, faced financial troubles and legal issues after an 1860 explosion bankrupted the Risca Colliery Company. The subsequent legal battle over coal encroachment led to the company's takeover by T.W. Rhodes, who later sold it to the London and South Wales Coal Company in 1872. Under new ownership, including figures like Edmund Hannay Watts and William Milburn, the colliery underwent significant modernisation and expansion. Recognising the need for improved infrastructure, construction on new shafts began in 1875. By 1878, the new pits successfully reached the Black Vein coal seam at a depth of 280 yards, with full production commencing shortly after. The old Black Vein shaft was repurposed for ventilation purposes, and the colliery's operations spurred the development of Newtown (now part of Crosskeys) and Wattsville to house its growing workforce. Tragically, just two years after its completion, North Risca Colliery was struck by a devastating gas explosion in July 1880, resulting in the deaths of 120 miners during a night shift. Despite advancements such as early electric lighting and innovative ventilation systems, the colliery faced ongoing safety challenges typical of 19th-century coal mining, including previous fatal explosions and concerns over ventilation and stability.