A small colliery is believed to have opened after the first edition (1878) of the Ordnance Survey 25in map and is shown only on the second (1900) and third (1919) editions. The second edition map shows several buildings and three lines of railway spreading out from what appears to be the entrance of a level at the north east of the site, to spoil tips to the south. An 'Air Shaft' is also shown. The site is roughly triangular and covers an area some 160m north to south by 120m wide. The colliery was probably linked underground to Gilfach Colliery (East) (nprn 80473), some 400m to the nort-east, as a means of spoil removal: space for expansion by Gilfach (East) was severely limited and there appears to have been no further spoil tipping there after the opening of Gilfach (West). There appears to have been no external railway line fron Gilfach (West) which also suggests that it was used simply for spoil removal. On the third editon map, the mine is shown as disused; the spoil tps are more extensive than on the earlier map, the railways have gone and a 'Shaft' and an 'Air Shaft' are shown by the disused buildings.
B.A.Malaws, RCAHMW, 12 November 2010.
