Craig-yr-Hesg quarry

Craig-yr-Hesg quarry in the Taff Valley, near Pontypridd, has been operating since 1885. It provides high quality blue pennant sandstone for use in road surfacing across south Wales and beyond.

The stone has a high polished stone value, which means that it has a very high skid resistance, making it the ideal choice for use on motorways and airport runways.

The site contributes more than £2 million a year to the local economy and employs a team of 17, while a further 60+ maintenance engineers and HGV drivers depend on it for their livelihood.

Reserves at Craig-yr-Hesg quarry have been secured until 2047 following the granting of planning permission to extend the site and access a further 10 million tonnes of stone in October 2022.

Contact us

For all enquiries, please email us: craigyrhesgquarry@uk.heidelbergmaterials.com or telephone 0800 160 1317

Suppliers

Click here to request information about how to become a supplier

Blasting

A blast is planned for 2 September 2026 between 12:00 and 14:00.

Blasting at Craig-yr-Hesg quarry can take place between 10:00 and 16:00 Monday to Friday.

Please note our blast times are approximate and are subject to change due to weather or operational safety requirements.

Residents can request to be added to our WhatsApp group to receive our blasting notifications by sending a WhatsApp message to 07875 139481. This service is free and all personal information provided remains confidential.

Please see our privacy policy for details on how we manage personal data.

Operating times

Craig-yr-Hesg quarry is permitted to operate from Monday to Friday from 07:00 – 19:00 and Saturday 07:00 – 16:00.

(This includes quarry operations such as the primary crusher and HGV movements.)

Maintenance is permitted to take place outside of these times.

Craig-yr-Hesg quarry community liaison group

We are committed to open communication about our operations and to working with the local community to enable the more positive benefits of quarrying to the local community to be realised.

We have been working with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC) and local community representatives to reform a community liaison group to facilitate dialogue and discuss operational and local issues.

The liaison group is chaired by an independently appointed Chair and includes representatives from RCTCBC and the local community.

Craig-yr-Hesg Quarry Community Liaison Group Meeting 9 June 2026 - Minutes 351.97 KB Craig-yr-Hesg Quarry Community Liaison Group Meeting 24 February 2026 -Minutes 156.13 KB

FAQs

Find answers to the most common questions about our operations at Craig-yr-Hesg quarry.

Read the full range of FAQs

Documents and reports

View documentation relating to operations, monitoring and planning applications for Craig yr Hesg quarry.

Open document library

Ad hoc

Better access for walkers between Glyncoch and Darren Ddu Road

We have completed works to create a permissive path linking Glyncoch and the Darren Ddu Road.

Ad hoc

Alaw Primary School pupils enjoy memorable quarry visit

Year 3 pupils from Alaw Primary School in Trealaw recently enjoyed a hands-on learning experience at our Craig-yr-Hesg quarry.

Ad hoc

Heidelberg Materials paves way for Maes-y-Coed allotments

Our Craig-yr-Hesg quarry, near Pontypridd, has donated the asphalt needed to resurface the access road and car park for the allotments in Maes-y-Coed.

Supporting the community

As a responsible operator, we want to play our part in supporting communities near our sites as well as protecting and enhancing the local environment.
We welcome school, college and other group visits to our site, host community open days and carry out a broad range of regular community support initiatives.

In addition, local charities and community groups have benefitted from the donation of money, materials and time, through our employee volunteering days.
Our approach is to prioritise support for initiatives that:

Promote education, skills and wellbeing
Protect and/or enhance the environment
Support biodiversity and sustainability
Promote the community and heritage of the area

Financial and material donations are prioritised to those based within a three-mile radius of Craig-yr-Hesg quarry.

Request a donation

Please complete this form to request a donation

Tell us about your group and/or project, what type of support you are seeking and how your project’s aims align with our support initiative goals set out above.
Recent beneficiaries of our local support programme include:

Donation to purchase new kit for the Rhondda Outlaws U13’s rugby team.
Donation of asphalt and resurfacing the access road to Maes-y-Coed allotments.
Wooden fencing posts and materials to Fletchers Field allotments.

Request a donation

Biodiversity

Habitats within the quarry include semi natural woodland, small pockets of heathland, rock and scree, open habitat on previously disturbed ground and quarry benches and tips that are regenerating naturally to woodland.

A wide range of flora and fauna has made the quarry its home, including nesting barn owls and peregrine falcons, and we work closely with an independent ecologist to protect and enhance biodiversity at the site.

We have carried out bracken control in areas of Ffridd habitat to prevent the overshadowing of grassland species, as well as scrub clearance in the southern scrub and woodland around the stone seat and viewpoint to create open, sunny glades and maintain the view from the stone seat.

Site Biodiversity Action Plan - Craig YR Hesg Quarry 1.03 MB

Careers and apprenticeships

Working at Heidelberg Materials is about being part of One Team

Visit our careers website

Careers

We operate more than 300 manufacturing sites in the UK and employ over 4,000 people, offering a variety of careers and development opportunities.

These include a wide range of roles from production workers, plant operatives, engineers, technicians and drivers to sales, IT, finance and HR managers.

Our graduate programme for specialists in engineering, geology, marketing or a STEM related discipline offers a structured two-year programme based in a variety of locations across the UK.

We also provide various apprenticeships, giving you the opportunity to earn while you learn and the opportunity to secure valuable industry qualifications.

These include our three-year higher apprenticeship programme, which offers the first steps towards various careers in our sector from site supervisors to quantity surveying, and other apprenticeships for roles including plant operators and mechanical engineers.

For more on the range of opportunities at Heidelberg Materials UK, and our current vacancies, visit our careers website

Visit our careers website