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St David's Colliery is a post-medieval and modern coal mine in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference CM265. The site exploits the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a geological sequence laid down during the Westphalian period and comprising mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal seams, ironstone and ferricrete. These strata form the bedrock beneath the colliery and represent the productive coal-bearing rocks that made South Wales a major centre of coal extraction from the eighteenth century onwards.
The colliery's location on the Upper Coal Measures placed it within the richest coal-producing region of Britain. The varied geology of the formation—particularly the interbedded coal and mudstone layers—created a complex underground landscape that miners had to navigate. Associated ironstone deposits in the same strata made the area valuable not only for coal but also for iron production, industries that shaped the industrial development of South Wales.
The designation of St David's Colliery as a protected monument reflects its significance as part of the industrial heritage of Wales. The site preserves evidence of the techniques, infrastructure and labour employed in extracting mineral resources from the Upper Coal Measures, documenting an essential chapter in the economic and social history of the region during the post-medieval and modern periods.
St David's Colliery is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM265. View the official record →
St David's Colliery is a post-medieval and modern coal mine in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference CM265.
St David's Colliery dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a coal mine. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
St David's Colliery is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CM265.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Loughor Castle (4.2 km), Penclawdd Sea Dock and Canal (5.5 km), Dan-y-Lan Camp (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St David's Colliery's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
St David's Colliery stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.