About Machen quarry
The Machen area has a long history of quarrying dating back to 1875.
Machen quarry originally served a number of small limekilns, which were used to convert limestone into quicklime. Remains of these limekilns are still on site, as well as a 1920s transformer house near the rail yard.
In the early 1880s, the quarry was producing 33,000 tonnes of crushed stone a year.
By 1950 the machinery had been modernised, greatly increasing production to 50,000 tonnes a year.
The quarry was previously owned by Powell Duffryn Quarries and then Amalgamated Roadstone Corporation (ARC), which focused on quarrying for road construction.
ARC was acquired by building materials group Hanson as part of its acquisition of Consolidated Gold Fields in 1989, which subsequently rebranded to Heidelberg Materials in 2023.
The quarry was inactive from 2012-16 due to an economic downturn.
Since then, it has supplied material for HS2, a large-scale battery storage facility battery on the site of Uskmouth power station in Newport and for flood defence on the Hereford and Abergavenny railway line.
Contact us
For all enquiries please email: machenquarry@uk.heidelbergmaterials.com
Become a supplier
Click here.to request information about how to become a supplier.
Operating times
Our normal operating hours, unless otherwise agreed by Caerphilly County Borough Council, are as follows:
- The quarry is open Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 06:00 to 14:00.
- Rail depot is open Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 22:00 and Saturday from 07:00 to 16:00.
- Closed on public and bank holidays.
Blasting times
Blasting usually takes place Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 16:00.
We plan operations so that wherever possible blasting takes place between 12:00 and 14:00. Blast times are approximate and are subject to change due to weather or operational safety requirements.
News
Community liaison
We are committed to open communication about our operations and discussing local issues and projects through our liaison group committee.
The liaison group committee includes members from various interested parties, such as representatives from Caerphilly County Borough Council and Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen Community Council.
Minutes of liaison committee group meetings
If you are interested in representing your community on this group, please get in touch with us at machenquarry@uk.heidelbergmaterials.com
Supporting the community
As a responsible operator, we want to play our part in supporting communities where we operate as well as protecting and enhancing the local environment.
We welcome visits from schools, colleges, scouts, guides and other groups to our site, host open days and support various projects in the community we operate.
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:
- Promoting education, skills and wellbeing
- Protecting and/or enhancing the environment
- Supporting biodiversity and sustainability
- Promoting the community and heritage of the area
Financial and materials donations are prioritised to groups from those within a three-mile radius of Machen quarry and voluntary work within 10 miles of our site.
Click here to request a financial or materials donation or voluntary support. Please tell us about your group and/or project, what type of support you are seeking and how your project’s aims align with our priorities above.
Recent beneficiaries
- Auntie Heather’s Forest Friends and Toddlers – 60 tonnes of aggregates to expand play area.
- Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen Community Council - Stone and soil for community garden.
- Caerphilly Woodlands Trust - 80 tonnes of aggregates for pathways and community space
- Machen Agricultural Show – 50 tonnes of aggregates for a footbridge.
- Ruperra Conservation Trust - 100 tonnes of aggregates to resurface paths.
- Machen Welfare CIO – 5 tonnes of aggregates to repair potholes at Machen Welfare Ground.
Careers and apprenticeships
Working at Heidelberg Materials is about being part of One Team.
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.
Interested? Apply now...
For more on our graduate, apprenticeship programmes, career opportunities and our current vacancies and details on how to apply visit our careers website.