THE DISUSED STONE QUARRY AT HENLLYS: Recently my grandson, who is a member of the Glen Llwyd Scout Troop, Hollybush, Cwmbran, went on a map reading exercise and hike to the disused stone quarry above the village of Henllys, on the Mynydd Maen.

It is now difficult to imagine what a hive of industrial activity this area once was during the nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth century.

Apart from the stone being used in the construction of many other buildings, it was used to build Ebenezer Baptist Chapel, Two Locks, Cwmbran. The stone was donated by Cyrus Hanson, who operated the business venture at Henllys.

Coal had been discovered in the early part of the 19th century, so Henllys Colliery was developed, and together with coal production, fireclay, stone quarries and limestone became a thriving business.

A tram road or incline was built to connect with the Monmouthshire Canal at Two Locks, and the Henllys Coal, Firebrick and Retort works was established in the area.

Small, neat rows of houses and cottages sprung up near the industrial area which reflected the nature of the employees' work, eg: Kiln Cottages, Old and New Row, Belle Vue Terrace, Machine House, Incline Terrace, and, of course, some of these dwellings still exist.

By the mid-1920s, the industrial life of Henllys all but disappeared, and the Henllys Estate' was offered for sale by auction at the Half Way Hotel, Cwmbran, on July 18, 1928.

The stone quarry and the spoil tips are all but what is left of which represents Henllys heritage and its legacy of a rich industrial life.

by G H Lawrence