Cwm Coke Works,Beddau,South Wales 2013.
Originally a coal mine with two shafts called Mildred and Margaret between 1914 up to 1948,when the NCB (National Coal Board) was formed.Between 1952 and 1960,there was a huge cash injection which saw the developement of the Coke workings.
By the turn of the 1970`s,the Coke plant employed some 1580 workers alone,and was producing 515,000 tonnes of Coke per year ...
It did this up to 1986 when the Works was bought by CPL Industries,who ceased the coal mining part of the site on 28th November 1986.At this time,a brochure stated that there was potentially 9 million tonnes of coal reserves still underground.
Coke production continued up to 2002,when a decision was made to stop production due lack of re investment for new technologies.
I found it particularly sad to see former workers names etched on a staff room wall ... all hard working men whose lives centered round this works ... it must have devastated the locale when this site closed.
After wandering through the bushes,we find somewhere to hide to collect our thoughts.
Taking in the array of overhead pipework on the way.These may have carried gas to the large building next to the foot bridge
Forgive my lack of knowledge about what did what and which building was named etc..
This was in the first building in my previous shots
Looking from whence we came..
South West quarter
South East quarter,and the route we took to avoid security
Unknown structure
The whole time I spent here,was at times quite nerve racking..
It was a breezy day,so we heard lots of loud noises..
We were convinced there were metal thieves in some of the buildings!!
But after a few hours,we could see some of the culprits..loose cladding mainly on the conveyor belt structures
Continuing along the east side,we were as yet unaware of what was where..
Then one of the other explorers chanced some stairs..
But on the way,we stopped to record these buildings..this may have been of several huge bunkers..
I have read up a little on the production of coke and its way too much to put on here
Needless to say,I expect the coke was derived from the existing coal mine nearby
Looking back where we came in
Ahead,we walk under various conveyors
You can see the cladding that in places was loose and caused the noises
Conveyor system
Same
And another
We noticed one of our friends go up some steps..