National Coal Board Scientific Reports

Scope and Content

National Coal Board scientific reports, 1930-1988, comprising reports of analyses of coal seams, 1938-1968; special reports relating to experiments and mine efficiency, 1951-1988; books and magazine articles, 1930-[1985].

Administrative / Biographical History

The National Coal Board (NCB) was set up under the Coal Nationalisation Act 1946. From 1 January 1947 it had sole responsibility for managing the British coal industry. The NCB became British Coal in 1986 and was dissolved in 1994. In its administrative organisation the NCB was divided geographically. The collieries of the former county of West Glamorgan lay within the South Wales Area, specifically the 'Area 1' and 'Area 9' sub-divisions. The NCB commissioned numerous reports. These include reports of experiments, including the testing of new boilers and the suitability of individual types, sizes and brands of coal for those boilers; reports of analyses of coal seams, especially where opencast sites uncovered unidentified seams; and reports on the testing of the efficiency of individual mines and their machinery, and, after their closure, determination of the necessary environmental tidying required on site.

Arrangement

Arranged into the following: coal reports; special reports; loose files.

Access Information

No restrictions

Acquisition Information

It is the policy of the West Glamorgan Archive Service to withhold the names of depositors.

Note

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: West Glamorgan Archive Service, National Coal Board Scientific Reports, catalogue; West Glamorgan Archive Service, Files from the National Coal Board South Wales Area relating to collieries in West Glamorgan, 1939-1990, catalogue.

Other Finding Aids

Hard copies of the catalogue are available at West Glamorgan Archive Service.

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Appraisal Information

Information not available

Accruals

Accruals are not expected

Related Material

Further records of the National Coal Board, South Wales Areas, are in West Glamorgan Archives Service, Glamorgan Record Office and Gwent Record Office.