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Dinas is a village near Tonypandy in the county borough of
Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff () and Ely valleys, ...
, Wales. Dinas is often referred to as Dinas Rhondda to avoid confusion with Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan. The word ' in Modern Welsh means "city", but here (as in Old and Middle Welsh more generally) it means "hill fort".


Location

Dinas is located in the lower Rhondda Valley about halfway between Treorchy and
Pontypridd Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. Geography Pontypridd comprises the ...
. Neighbouring settlements are Penygraig, Trealaw, Tonypandy, Cymmer and Porth.


The colliery

Dinas is the site of Dinas Lower () Colliery, sunk by Walter Coffin in 1812 as the first deep coal mine in the Rhondda valley. This was later followed by the sinking of the Dinas Middle Colliery in 1832 along the southern banks of the river Rhondda Fawr, opposite Dinas Rhondda railway station. From here coal was carried by trams via Porth, Cymmer, and Trehafod to
Pontypridd Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. Geography Pontypridd comprises the ...
, where it was conveyed by canal to Cardiff. In 1844 there was an explosion in the mine, the first major explosion to occur in the Rhondda Valleys, and twelve men and boys were killed. In 1869, a new shaft was opened in order to improve conditions in the pit. Ten years later another devastating explosion resulted in the death of 63 miners. The shaft was deepened in 1881 to reach lower seams with steam coal, but by 1887 production was declining and in 1893 production had ceased in both collieries. In 1841 the 4-mile long Rhondda branch line of the Taff Vale Railway was opened between
Pontypridd Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. Geography Pontypridd comprises the ...
and Dinas, eventually to be extended as far as
Treherbert Treherbert () is a village and community (Wales), community situated at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historic counties of Wales, Historically part of Glamorgan. Treherbert is the upper mo ...
by 1856.


References


External links


Welsh Coal Mines - research the pit history of local pits
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Mines Rescue Service – Then and Now
'' {{authority control Villages in Rhondda Cynon Taf