Minera Limeworks
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The Minera Limeworks were extensive lime quarries and kilns near Wrexham, in Wales. It was located at grid reference SJ253520, near the villages of Gwynfryn, Minera, and Coedpoeth. It was locally referred to as 'The Calch'.
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[edit] History
The Minera Limeworks were once the largest lime workings in North Wales. Limeburning 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 some heavy cash injection into the works. Using this money, the company erected a "Hoffman Kiln". Originally destined for brickmaking, it was soon converted to limeburning.
This Hoffman Kiln still exists and is one of few left in the UK: another being in Powys, near Welshpool, another is located at Prestongrange in Scotland, another is located at Llanymynech Limeworks.
The quarries had their own steam locomotive and hundred of open coal wagons and closed lime wagons at its peak. Hornby Railways and Dapol both have model wagons detailing the Minera Lime Co. It also had extensive kilns, still there to this day. The works closed in 1972 and the Wrexham and Minera Branch railway lines were pulled up at around the same time.
[edit] Current usage
For many years since closure, the quarry has served as storage for road building materials, and a tipple for them was built, but was soon abandoned. In 2004-05 the quarry was subject to a clean up operation, where all the materials were taken and the whole area flattened. "Tarmac" (a supplier of materials to the building trade) who have taken interest in the site have been taking several core samples and have apparently found the quarry to still be a viable source of lime.
The quarry is also popular with local potholers, as there is a cave system starting in the quarry linked to many underground rivers.
