Work begins on the Seven Sisters Colliery

Background. The Seven Sisters area in the Dulais Valley was historically recognized for its coal mining potential, located within one of the richest coal sources in Britain. Development of mines in the western South Wales coalfield was facilitated by rich anthracite deposits and the construction of the Neath and Brecon Railway starting in 1862, which helped transform small settlements into villages and towns.

First Sod Cutting. David Evans of the Evans-Bevan coal mining partnership had wanted to call the colliery after his daughter, Isabella Bevan. On Monday 11 March 1872, she cut the first sod on the land at Bryn Dulais farm with a silver spade. The supplied source records this ceremonial sod cutting but does not explicitly state that the ceremony itself constituted the start of work on the colliery.

Geographical Context. Seven Sisters is a village and community in the Dulais Valley, Wales, within the Seven Sisters ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough. The location was central to the South Wales Coalfield, known for its rich coal sources. The village's historical identity was closely tied to the mining pit located in the middle of these rich deposits.