Hanson Clay Quarry, Caernarfon

Clay Quarry

Date	17 September 2011
Location	Caernarfon	SH 49167 61366; 53.12804°N, 4.25576°W
Information	When they occupied Caernarfon, the Romans made use of the local clay for pottery and as a building material. The 18 ft wide rampart at Segontium fort, for example, was constructed from clay. More recently, manufacture of clay bricks in the town dates back to the early 1800s. The brickworks in Seiont Mill Road, on the banks of the Afon Seiont, started production in 1966 and was acquired by Hanson in 1995. However, owing to the downturn in the construction industry and rising energy costs, Hanson ceased production, with the loss of 50 jobs, in 2008. The factory and adjacent clay quarry have been mothballed, with a small staff retained to deal with orders while the stockpile of 25 million bricks are sold. At the time, it was estimated that this would take around two years. The Hanson brickworks used to produce 30 million bricks per year and was the last surviving clay brick manufacturer in Wales. End of an era as brickworks shut (BBC News, 1 May 2008)