Site of the Morlais

Morlais Colliery O Opened 1894 O 1895 – “pair of 12ft diameter shafts into a depth of 321ft to work the Swansea 5ft seam… workforce of 147 miners… increased to 501 by 1914 and to 702 men in 1927 O 1926 – Thomas Williams & Sons Owners of the mine O “Still operational… frequent stoppages of works, often lasting weeks… greatly reduced wage packets” O 1932 – “150 employees… received 2 weeks notice… by September the colliery ‘hooter’ gave its unwelcome sound too often to please the miners in the villages” O “7 men overcome by smoke & fumes in a fire… The Fire broke out at 2.15am… when a coal brazier tipped over… thick smoke was sucked down the shaft into pit where 58 men were working. It took before the last of the men were rescued”

Morlais Colliery O 1971 – “Morlais Colliery taken off the ‘closure list’ …would remain open until the coal seams were exhausted” O 1976 – April Morlais joins with Brynlliw Colliery via a tunnel O The only surviving ‘Andrew Barclay’ steam engine winder built in 1906, becomes something of an attraction. This winder had never broken down in its 73 years service, bringing up 1000 tons of coal every 8 hours shift in its heyday. O 1981 – 8th May, pit “closed [due] to intolerable conditions…[thus terminating] coal mining activities in Llangennech after nearly 400 years” O Quotes & information taken from Charles, A.C. (1997) ‘History of Llangennech’ printed By Carmarthenshire County Council

Morlais Colliery O Morlais Colliery Rescue Team 1910

Morlais now:2011

Morlais Now

The Morlais Exhibition

Sketch of existing exhibition

Sketch of the new exhibition layout

Zones

Zone1

Zone 1: Sketch

Zone 2

Zone 2: Sketch

Zone 3

Zone 3: Sketch

Zone 4

Zone 4: Sketch

Zone 5

Lockers

Zone 5: Sketch

The Winding Room

The Winding Room: Andrew Barclay Engine

Zone 6

Zone 6 Sketch

Changes and moving artefacts

Moving machines

Zone 7

Zone 7: Idea

What can we do together to take the project forward?

Thank you Maria McGerty Or