Aber Quarry

Overview

The last working limestone quarry of the north-east Anglesey group, at Moelfre. Its neighbours — Traeth Bychan, Benllech, Castle Rock, Llandona, Penmon and Flag Staff — between them supplied the block for both bridges over the Menai Strait; Aber alone is still in production.

History

Limestone has been worked along the north-east coast of Anglesey since at least the eighteenth century, from a string of quarries — Traeth Bychan, Benllech, Castle Rock at Red Wharf Bay, Llandona, Penmon and Flag Staff — which between them produced the block for the two bridges over the Menai Strait, Telford's suspension bridge and Stephenson's tubular railway bridge. Penmon stone in particular went far beyond the island. Aber Quarry, at Moelfre, is the only one of that group still in production. It is worked by Anglesey Masonry, who describe the stone as a hard grey Carboniferous limestone that takes a high polish and weathers well, and who supply it for building, renovation and garden work. The company traces its own limestone production to the eighteenth century.

Geology

The Carboniferous limestone of Anglesey occupies a broad area south of Lligwy Bay and Pentraeth and sends a narrow spur south-westward by Llangefni towards Malltraeth sands, with further outcrops on the south coast about Llanfihangel and Llangoed and in the south-west round Llanidan on the Menai Strait; Puffin Island off Penmon is made of it. On the north-west the limestone is underlain by a red basement conglomerate and a yellow sandstone sometimes taken for Old Red Sandstone. The stone worked at Aber is the grey variety, hard enough to take a polish.

Geological setting: Sedimentary Beds and Seams (well documented example)

Workings

An open quarry in the limestone at Moelfre. Nothing of its internal layout is recorded in the sources read beyond the fact that the company holds large stocks of grey limestone ready for extraction.

Closure

Not closed: Aber is the last of the north-east Anglesey quarries at work.

What remains

A working quarry operated by Anglesey Masonry, supplying grey Carboniferous limestone for building, renovation, garden and memorial work.

Not applicable: the quarry is in production.

Redevelopment

None; the site is still extractive.

Related mines

• Penmon Quarry — Both belong to the group of limestone quarries along the north-east coast of Anglesey that together supplied the block for the two Menai bridges; the Penmon record names Aber as the last of the group still at work.

Nearby mines

• Morfa Du Mine — 6.1 km NW
• Mona Mine — 6.6 km NW
• Parys Mountain — 7.7 km NW
• Penmon Quarry — 13.9 km E

Straight-line distance, within 15 km. Show on the map.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• There were several quarries along the north-east coast of Anglesey — Traeth Bychan, Benllech, Castle Rock at Red Wharf Bay, Llandona, Penmon and Flag Staff — and all of them produced block for the two bridges over the Menai Strait; Aber Quarry is now the only one remaining in production. ¹
• The stone is a hard grey Carboniferous limestone which takes a high polish and has excellent weathering properties. ¹
• The Carboniferous limestone occupies a broad area south of Lligwy Bay and Pentraeth and sends a narrow spur south-westward by Llangefni to Malltraeth sands, with further outcrops about Llanfihangel and Llangoed and round Llanidan; Puffin Island is made of it. ¹
• The stone trade directory lists the operator as Aber (Anglesey) Stone Co, that is Anglesey Masonry Ltd of Aber Quarry, Moelfre, and names the quarry itself 'Aberstrect Quarry' — apparently Aberstrecht, the hamlet just west of Moelfre — with the stone marketed under the name Moelfre and classed as limestone. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) About Anglesey Masonry: Anglesey limestone — Anglesey Masonry
2. (secondary) Aber (Anglesey) Stone Co — Stone Specialist

Record created: 8 September 2026 · Last researched: 9 September 2026