Gresford Colliery
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gresford |
| Country | Wales |
| Production | |
| Products | Coal |
| History | |
| Opened | 1911 |
| Active | 1911-1973 |
| Closed | 1973 |
| Owner | |
| Company | United Westminster & Wrexham Collieries |
Gresford Colliery was a coal mine located a mile from the North Wales village of Gresford, near Wrexham.
The North Wales Coalfield, of which Gresford was part, runs from Point of Ayr, on the Flintshire coast to the Shropshire border. Although coal mining records date back to the 15th century, it was not heavily exploited until the 18th century. By 1900,more than 12,500 miners produced three million tonnes a year.
Industrialist Henry Dennis of Ruabon, and his son Henry Dyke Dennis, began the colliery near Gresford in 1907. The site was on the edge of the Alyn Valley, between the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway (later the GWR Birkenhead to London Paddington line), and the old main road between Wrexham and Chester.
The Dennis' company United Westminster & Wrexham Collieries took four years to sink two deep shafts, the Dennis (downcast) and the Martin (upcast), located 50 yards (46 m) apart. It was one of the deepest coal mines in the Denbighshire coalfield, the Dennis shaft reaching a depth of about 2,264 feet (690 m) and the Martin shaft about 2,252 feet (686 m).
The first coal was produced in June, 1911 and full production reached before the outbreak of World War I. Three seams were worked: the Crank, the Brassey (named after engineer Thomas Brassey), and the Main. House coal was produced from the Crank seam, the Brassey seam was virtually gas free whilst the Main seam was very gaseous. Working conditions at the colliery were dusty, and very hot, the temperature often more than 90 °F (32 °C).
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