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  1. Industrial Archaeology
  2. Limestone Quarrying and Lime Making in Wales
Minera Lead Mines Railway
Minera Lead Mines

Minera Quarry and Lime Works

The Minera Lime Works were once the largest lime workings in the north of Wales. Lime burning at Minera is recorded from as early as 1620 but the Minera Lime Company was established in 1852.

The total output from the Minera area quarries was estimated, in 1859, to be around 300,000 tons, with 200,000 tons of this converted to lime.

The Minera Lime Company became a limited company in 1865, and this prompted investment into the works.
Using this money, the company erected a "Hoffmann kiln". Originally destined for brickmaking, it was soon converted to lime burning. This kiln still exists and is one of three that were purpose-built for lime burning left in the UK: another is located at Langcliffe in Yorkshire, another is located at Llanymynech Limeworks.

It also had extensive kilns, still there to this day. The works closed in 1972 and the Wrexham and Minera Branch railway lines were lifted at around the same time.
Whilst the lime works may have closed the quarry remained open as a source of road building materials until 1993.

The quarry is owned by Lafarge Aggregates successor to Redland plc. Tarmac also had involvement in the site. There is believed to still be viable reserves of limestone present though Lafarge Aggregates do not have any interest in reviving quarrying here.

The Minera Quarry Trust which was established in 2005 negotiated with Lafarge Aggregates with the aim of conserving the former quarry site for the benefit of the public. Since then the trust has made significant progress in developing a plan of action for the site that encompasses both short term improvements and long term sustainability for the site. The Trust worked in partnership[4] with North Wales Wildlife Trust to develop the project and received political endorsement from Wrexham County Borough Council.
North Wales Wildlife Trust purchased the site for £1 from Tarmac, who also donated £100,000 so work could be carried out to make the site safe for public access. The site was officially opened on 2 June 2018 as their 36th Wildlife Reserve in North Wales.

The quarry contains entrances to the important caves Ogof Dydd Byraf and Ogof Llyn Du whose passages come very close to Ogof Cefn-y-Gist and Ogof Llyn Parc. starting in the quarry linked to many underground rivers.
Read More
  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry Nature Reserve information board.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    The original bank of lime kilns at Minera Lime Works which predate the building of the Hoffman Kiln. These were constructed circa 1850.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    View along the railway track bed where junction was made between the Lime Works Quarry railway and the Great Western Railway at the Minera Goods Station - the buildings of which are now used for residential purposes. The masonry structure of the bank of 6 kilns can be seen on the right.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    The original bank of lime kilns at Minera Lime Works which predate the building of the Hoffman Kiln. These were constructed circa 1850. View into one of the kilns to the poking hole and grate.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    The original bank of lime kilns at Minera Lime Works which predate the building of the Hoffman Kiln. These were constructed circa 1850. View into one of the kilns to the poking hole and grate.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    The original bank of lime kilns at Minera Lime Works which predate the building of the Hoffman Kiln. These were constructed circa 1850. The area in front of the kilns was once occupied by railway lines.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Overbridge abutments which carried a high level railway line to the top of the original bank of 6 lime kilns.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Overbridge abutments which carried a high level railway line to the top of the original bank of 6 lime kilns.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Overbridge abutments which carried a high level railway line to the top of the original bank of 6 lime kilns.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Limestone Quarry

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Limestone Quarry

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Limestone Quarry

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Limestone Quarry

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    View to the top of the Hoffman Kiln which is to the left of the track.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    The Hoffman Kiln with one of the entrances visible.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    L2020_5373

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    The Hoffman Kiln

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Detail of the Hoffman Kiln at Minera Lime Works

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Hoffman Kiln believed to have been abandoned circa 1954.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Admin building from the later working of the quarry. The track through the gate leads to Minera Goods Station where the Minera Lime Works railway and the Minera Lead Mine Railway (aka New Brighton Branch) made connection with the Great Western Railway.

  • Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Minera Quarry and Lime Works, Minera, Wrexham, Wales - December 17, 2020

    Part of the administration block for the Quarry.

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