Levels or Drift mines were driven into the hill sides at an angle to reach the seams or veins of coal. In many cases the method of working these small mines has altered little since the early miners first mined for coal in this way. Apart from the use of compressed air for blast picks to replace the mandrels and small picks, along with safety helmets and battery lighting which replaced candles and carbide lamps, very little has changed. The method of timbering to line underground roadways is also much the same as it was in the early days. Until the end of the 20th century horses were still being used to pull the laden trams out of the small mines. In 1931 there were 73,024 horses in British deep and shallow mines but were reduced to 32,109 by 1937 with the increasing increase of machine power. Even though mechanical rope haulage engines were replacing horses, the coal still had to be removed from the coal face to the mechanical haulage, so for many years to come the horse played a large part in coal mining. Horses as a rule were very well treated, well fed and generally not overworked. At any one time at Tirpentwys collery in Gwent in excess of 100 horses were used and some were shown in Pontypool park in competitions. The last two horses to work in a British coal mine was (at Pant-y-gasseg near Pontypool in Gwent ) and were named Gremlin and Robbie. Both were retired in 1999, with Gremlin going to Milton Keynes R.S.P.C.A the home for retired pit ponies, while Robbie went to an English mining museum. Gremlin can be seen having worked his last shift and pulled his last tram of coal. Mike Desmond is leading him out from the mine for the last time in the photograph below. Mike's family have been involved with small mines for over 70 years, and he said that it bought a tear to his eyes seeing both horses going, These feelings are reflected in Mike's body language.
This picture illustrates the mouth of a small mine near Pontypool in Gwent. Note the horse's protective headwear. This protected his face and eyes against injury by bumping against the tunnel timbers and from falling stones, Etc. An average tram of dry coal would probably weigh around fourteen or fifteen hundred weights (700-750 kilo's).
Photograph supplied by Martin.Ellard @ Dragon-pictures.com
Here we can see Gremlin and Robbie in a local field at rest before being taken away to enjoy their retirement.
