Hafodyrynys colliery was originally opened as a deep mine by Crumlin Valley Colliery's Ltd in 1914. At its peek it employed 924 men producing from the 'Meadow Vein', 'Black Vein' and 'Old Coal' seams. Nationalised along with rest of the industry in 1947, Hafodyrynys was to become the center of one of the NCB's first big investments in South Wales 'Hafodyrynys New Mine'. The intention was to link up several of Gwent collieries underground in effect turning them into a giant drift mine with it's main outlet and processing plant at the new mine. Millions of pounds were invested in the project creating a new state of the art pit head and washery constructed of concrete at Hafodyrynys while long conveyor tunnels were excavated to link the workings at Glyntillery, Tirpentwy and Blaenserchan collieries.

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The new mine was expected to have 50 years of available reserves but a little over a decade after it opened it began to experience severe geological problems which resulted in the end of coal production at Hafodyrynys in 1966. The pithead and washery were retained to surface coal produced in the other collieries. However Tirpentwy Colliery closed in 1969 followed by Glyntillery in 1976. This just left the coal produced at Blaenserchan which was the furthest colliery linked to Hafodyrynys, through the disused workings at Tirpentwy. The cost of maintaining the long underground link made the operation unviable and the coal produced at Blaenserchan was switched via new link established to Abertillery Drift in 1977 resulting in the final closure of Hafodyrynys.

Today the colliery site has been cleared except for the unique washery slurry tower. Unfortunately the ground level of the tower has been stripped out all that can be seen are the remains of someof the pipe work embedded in the walls and machine mountings. The glass windows which framed the upper level are long gone as is the access ladder so there is no way of getting into the upper level, it has a solid base with no access points except for the only doorway which has to be 20' from the ground. Looking into the upper level from the valley sides shows some of the washer machinery still in place although badly rusted.