HILLS Pits lay to the north west of the town of Blaenavon on the edge of the south Wales coalfields. All that remains today of the workings is this stone chimney – an old air vent stack.

The Pits were important as they not only had seams of coal but also iron ore and directly supplied the Blaenavon Ironworks during their production years in the nineteenth century.

Records show that early, high-yield production at the Pits was during the 1840s, about 10 years after the shafts were sunk. In 1873 the Blaenavon Company Ltd listed Hills Pits amongst its assets but by 1893 any mention of the site ceases and it was presumably not producing any more ore or coal.

The shafts of Hills Pits were finally back-filled in the spring of 1963.

Nostalgia is provided by Torfaen Museum.