Welsh photographer shares new footage of historic south Wales colliery

Amelia Jones 

A photographer has shared videos of a historic south Wales colliery, offering viewers a glimpse inside one of the region’s best preserved industrial sites.

The footage focuses on Crumlin Navigation Colliery, a former coal mine that opened in 1911 and quickly became a key part of the Welsh coal industry.

At its height, the colliery employed over 700 men, and produced over 145,000 tonnes of coal a year,

The pithead baths, opened in 1933, had facilities to accommodate 800 miners. Such baths were constructed after the Miners’ Welfare Act 1926 introduced provision for their funding

Like many collieries across south Wales, the mine eventually closed in 1967 as the coal industry declined. However, much of the complex has remained standing in the decades since, and today it is widely regarded as one of the best preserved colliery sites in the region.

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The footage was taken by Stephen Davies, who is based in Gwent. He specialises in wedding photography, commercial photography, family portraits, pet photography, fashion shoots, and professional product photography in south Wales and across the UK.

Through the videos, viewers are able to see the scale and character of the historic buildings that still remain on the site, offering a rare look at an industrial landscape that once defined much of Welsh working life.

The colliery is now cared for by a charitable trust, while volunteers from the Friends of the Crumlin Navigation Colliery work to preserve and restore the historic structures. Their efforts focus on protecting the site’s heritage while exploring ways it could be used and appreciated by future generations.

Describing the site, the photographer said it is: “A place rich in history, resilience and potential, and an absolute dream to photograph.”

He added: “Real People. Real Places. Real Emotion. That’s what I aim to capture.”