The Quarries of Vaynor refer to the

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

quarries around

Vaynor Vaynor (Welsh: ''Y Faenor'', meaning "The Manor") is a village and community (formerly a parish) in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough in Wales, United Kingdom. The population of the community at the 2011 census was 3,551. Location It is about fo ...

, a village in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. Vaynor lies north of the

A465 The A465 is a trunk road that runs from Bromyard in Herefordshire, England to Llandarcy near Swansea in South Wales. The western half is known officially as the Neath to Abergavenny Trunk Road, but the section from Abergavenny to the Vale of N ...

road and

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

town. There are many limestone quarries in the area and the remains are still visible along the trails and on the hillsides. The limestone quarried there has been used for centuries for buildings and bridges and also to burn and make lime for agricultural use. Ruins of

limekilns Limekilns is a village in Fife, Scotland. It lies on the shore of the Firth of Forth, around south of Dunfermline. History and economy Unlike the neighbouring village of Charlestown, Limekilns is an old settlement dating back to the 14th cen ...

are scattered around the hillsides.

History

Limestone for iron furnaces

The first limestone extracted at Vaynor other than for lime-burning was by William Crawshay, who owned the land. He began quarrying there to provide limestone for his ironworks. It was used to purify the

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

. William Crawshay II the "Iron King" employed 5,000 people in his Cyfarthfa Ironworks in the 1830s. Its industry consumed 91,440 tonnes of iron ore, 20.320 tonnes of coal and 40,640 tonnes of lime annually. The frightful poverty and desperate living and working conditions for the people in the ironworks and supplying the raw materials like coal, iron ore and limestone led to a high risk of disease, appalling

infant mortality Infant mortality is the death of young children under the age of 1. This death toll is measured by the infant mortality rate (IMR), which is the probability of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births. The under-five morta ...

, starvation and riots.

The Merthyr Rising

In June 1831 workers and their families demonstrated. Dafydd Lewis of Cefn Coed was one of the local leaders. The revolt ended when soldiers were brought in. Four men were transported and Dic Penderyn was hung.

End of production

A thousand tons of limestone per day was produced in 1957. Eventually production stopped in the 1990s.

Working conditions

The historic safery record of the quarrying industry has been poor. Frequent accidents and fatalities were reported in local newspapers. • Shocking quarry accident. One man buried alive in Vaynor Quarry, the scene of a most deplorable accident. ''

Merthyr Times Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

'' Tuesday 13 Feb 1896 • Killed at Vaynor Quarry. Inquest held on body of quarryman aged 58 who succumbed to injuries received at quarry. '' Evening Express'' 8 December 1906 • Killed at Messrs. Crawshay Brothers’ Vaynor Quarry...a piece of rock weighing about 30 cwt came upon the deceased from above. Evening Express 5th Jan 1907 • Quarrymen's dispute...the hands employed at Vaynor Quarry are seeking an advance of one penny per ton. '' The Weekly Mail'' 24 September 1904

References

{{Reflist Quarries in Wales Buildings and structures in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Geography of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough