TRANCH PYLE LIMEWORKS
This is one of those sites that’s so conspicuous I can’t believe nobody else has been, but there’s no trace of any past reports on here so for the sake of recording it, here’s my take.
If you’re familiar with the stop-start nature of traffic on the M4 as you head towards Port Talbot from the Cardiff side, you may well have looked out of your window and wondered what this rusting bulk was. That’s how I arrived in Tranch Pyle for a wander anyway…
Google throws up next to nothing about the place other than conundrums, and as my research went on I wasn’t even sure if it was known as Tranch Quarry, Pyle Limeworks, Stormy Down Quarry or Kenfig Limeworks, but as it’s located in the village of Tranch Pyle I’ve stuck with that. It seems that the Stormy Stone & Brick Company operated from this site at one point. As for this operation though, at a guess I’d reckon it closed sometime around 15-20 years ago – but as much as I hate to admit defeat on these things, it is just a guess. I've found no history on the place whatsoever.
The underlying local geology is of limestone, exploited for centuries but notably in recent times for use as a flux in the smelting process in local ironworks – and most recently at the steel works in nearby Port Talbot. Most of the lime quarries have now gone though and works such as these appear to have been left to nature.
Solo explore, just as the dying sun was disappearing… One of those sites that probably photographs better on a sunny day!
One of the buildings at the back of the site by the railway line seemed to have suffered a fire at some point, the remains of a Bedford truck sitting amidst the remains of the roof...
Thanks for looking
This is one of those sites that’s so conspicuous I can’t believe nobody else has been, but there’s no trace of any past reports on here so for the sake of recording it, here’s my take.
If you’re familiar with the stop-start nature of traffic on the M4 as you head towards Port Talbot from the Cardiff side, you may well have looked out of your window and wondered what this rusting bulk was. That’s how I arrived in Tranch Pyle for a wander anyway…
Google throws up next to nothing about the place other than conundrums, and as my research went on I wasn’t even sure if it was known as Tranch Quarry, Pyle Limeworks, Stormy Down Quarry or Kenfig Limeworks, but as it’s located in the village of Tranch Pyle I’ve stuck with that. It seems that the Stormy Stone & Brick Company operated from this site at one point. As for this operation though, at a guess I’d reckon it closed sometime around 15-20 years ago – but as much as I hate to admit defeat on these things, it is just a guess. I've found no history on the place whatsoever.
The underlying local geology is of limestone, exploited for centuries but notably in recent times for use as a flux in the smelting process in local ironworks – and most recently at the steel works in nearby Port Talbot. Most of the lime quarries have now gone though and works such as these appear to have been left to nature.
Solo explore, just as the dying sun was disappearing… One of those sites that probably photographs better on a sunny day!
One of the buildings at the back of the site by the railway line seemed to have suffered a fire at some point, the remains of a Bedford truck sitting amidst the remains of the roof...
Thanks for looking
