Western Colliery, Nant-y-moel 1985

This authentic 1980s colour photograph, captured in 1985, documents the industrial landscape of the Western Colliery, also known as the Ocean Colliery, in Nant-y-moel, South Wales. The archival image features the prominent teal-painted steel lattice headframe and the large, arched-roof winding engine house. Situated in the Ogmore Valley, the colliery is framed by the dramatic, steep green hillsides typical of the South Wales Coalfield, showing clear evidence of previous mining activity and sheep tracks. In the valley floor beyond the industrial site, rows of traditional stone terraced miners’ cottages are visible, representing the close-knit community built around the coal industry. This factual record preserves the site as it appeared in 1985, just before the widespread closures of the mid-1980s that transformed the economic landscape of the Welsh valleys. The photograph captures a significant piece of Welsh industrial heritage, documenting the functional architecture of a deep mine that was once a primary employer in the region.