Was there a Lydbrook Colliery. If it was Waterloo/Arthur Edward he may have worked with my and uncles, and grandfather John Henry James who immigrated to NZ 1927.

Please let me know if you find any records referring the the James family from Lydbrook. would be most appreciated.

Hi, sadly I haven't seen such specific records, my grandfather mined locally too so I'd love to see them. There is the Roll of Honour book/cd recording those who died in the mines, but for general enquiries..?. However the following websites have information on the various Lydbrook collieries which hopefully will be of interest.

I must confess until now I'd generally thought there was just the one pit at Lydbrook, ie the coal mine called "Arthur & Edward" or "Waterloo" (it seems to have been known by both names simultaneously). However revisiting the following websites shows there were more, including "Lydbrook Colliery" which I guess is yours ?, plus an ironmine. They may of course have been operating in different time periods, with the last & largest being Waterloo.

http://way-mark.co.uk/foresthaven/historic/hworklst.htm
Lists the following, together with their grid references;

Arthur and Edward (Coal)................. SO 6085 1510.
Lydbrook Colliery (Coal)................... SO 6062 1545.
Lydbrook Deep Level....................... SO 6061 1541.
Lydbrook Iron Mine Level..................SO 5899 1599.
Waterloo Colliery (Coal).................. SO 6085 1510.

This excellent site has more detail about the mines etc, via the top blue menubar.

This map pictorially shows relative positions of the above.
http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/Overviewmap.html

In more recent times "the" main Lydbrook pit was "Arthur & Edward", according to this official map from 1949.
http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/site/maps/gcmg_map26.html
This site holds records of accidents nationwide.

The best site for highly detailed history of the various pits is Ian Pope's
http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/Coalopen.html

This has great detail for "Arthur & Edward", and also look under "L" for Lydbrook.

I am sure it's worth contacting the Dean Heritage Museum, I'm sure they'll have more records. I've not been there since their archives fire, but I gather its open again now. I hope to visit this year.
http://www.deanheritagecentre.com/researchservice.htm

I do hope this helps a little. If you do find records, or get success (or otherwise) from the Museum, or whatever; please can you keep us advised, thanks.