Point of Ayr Colliery Nos, 1 and 2 pits, at the time of closure, 1996.
No. 3 pit.
NGR SJ128837 Google Map
Situated on reclaimed headland near the mouth of the river Dee estuary.Lord Mostyn the owner of Mostyn colliery instigated the first trial borings here in 1865.
The bore holes proved good and the Prestatyn Coal Company was formed to work this coal; but the project was abandoned.
In 1873 The Western Mostyn Colliery Company, was formed and they sank a shaft 100 yards, but the heading, which was driven from this shaft hit a fault so the project was abandoned for a second time.
Another company, The Point of Ayr Colliery Company, was formed in 1883, they reopened the shaft and drove a heading in another direction where they hit the Five-yard seam in 1890. Two other seams, the Three-yard and the Two-yard also proved good. The No. 1 shaft was deepened to 215 yards and No. 2 shaft was sunk to the same depth.
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, there were 356 men employed, producing House and Steam coal.
By 1908 the workforce had risen to 493. In 1918 there 481 men employed.
From a list 1923, there were 334 men employed, producing House, Manufacturing and Steam coal from the Five, Yard and Stone Coal seams.
Some of the produce was shipped from the colliery's wharf.
Six men were killed here during the sinking of a new shaft on the 4th of July 1952.
Their names.
McPartland, Patrick Joseph, 28, Leading Miner of Dyserth. Drowned.
Dempster, Samuel, 37, Miners Labourer of Prestatyn. Drowned.
Thompson, James Nicholas, 43, Miners Labourer of Prestatyn. Drowned.
Maisey, Percy, 33, Labourer of Gwelfor. Drowned.
Hill, Edward James, 31 of Deptford London.
Jones, Goronwy, 30, Labourer of Holywell. Fatal injuries to head and
chest.
McPartland, Dempster and Maisey also suffered from nitrogen bubbles in
their bloodstream. The men were using the ''Caisson Method'' when sinking
the Shaft.
In 1953 a workforce of 738 were producing 213.000 tons annually.
In the early 1980's a drift was driven and all the colliery's coal production came to the surface by conveyor belt.
It closed of the 23rd of August 1996.