Aberthaw Lime Works were established in 1888 by David Owen, owner of the 'Western Mail' newspaper. Aberthaw lime had been famous for centuries, particularly for its qualities of setting under water, essential for harbour works, lighthouses. &c. The site was served to the west by a short extension of the Aberthaw Branch of the Taff Vale Railway and a tramway originally extended some 670m to the east, terminating on a shingle bank. The works are not shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey 25in map of 1897, but appear on the second and third editions of 1900 and 1919; by the time of the fourth edition of 1943, the works, having ceased working in 1926, are shown as disused and all railway connections removed. Surviving remains include roofless stone buildings housing the crushing plant, kilns and boilers, two tall shaft kilns and a square brick chimney.
Sources include: John Newman, The Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan, 1995; Cadw listed buildings description; A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of South East Wales, AIA, 2003.
RCAHMW, 06 December 2010.