Site Record

The Llanbradach Colliery fan house, standing on the lower middle platform of the colliery, to the south-west of the south shaft is an interesting example of this type of structure whose form was dictated by the large diameter ventilation fans necessary in a large colliery. The northern two-thirds of the structure probably dates from the construction of the colliery in 1881-4. The southern shaft was the upcast shaft for air coming out from underground and this was drawn through a now largely collapsed tunnel and through the large semi-circular yellow-brick arch at the northern end of the south eastern wall of the building. Behind this arch in the north-eastern corner of the building is the No. 1 fan chamber that formerly housed a large diameter 'Guibal' fan with a steam-engine to drive it housed in the centre of the building with a connecting drive crank housed in the narrow north-western corner of the building where concrete plinths indicate the former presence of a later electric drive to a small diameter Sirocco Fan. At the north-eastern corner of the building was the original 'evasee' or vent tower for the Guibal fan capped by castle-like crenellations (now gone). A later concrete chimney vent for the smaller scirocco fan is set back from the north-eastern end. Later the upcast air tunnel was continued along the south-eastern face of the original building to a second large-diameter 'Walker's Reversible Fan' . This may have happened when power was converted from steam to electricity, possibly about 1915. This southern fan housing retains an evasee or vent tower with battlements and the curved casing of the fan at its south-western end. The exterior of the building is in rock-faced Pennant Sandstone with semi-circular headed windows except for the wall facing the extended upcast tunnel where yellow-brick dressings and rendering are also used.

The building was derelict and partially roofless at the time of survey in October 1994 but was otherwise in a reasonable condition.

Part of Llanbradach Colliery (nprn 85050).

RCAHMW 14.03.2008.