IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Pleasant Harbour, BARRY, CF62 3DB

This area, at the estuary of the River Thaw was once a busy port. This ruin was once, I understand, a lime kiln. The landscape was substantially altered by the building of Aberthaw Power Station when the river was straightened and the estuary became a tidal lagoon. Much of the nearby area is covered by ash from the station but it remains a site of importance for wild life. Since the tip was extended in the late 1980's the reed beds have begun to regenerate and are now used by both Reed and Sedge Warblers. An Aquatic Warbler was trapped and ringed here, also in the '80's, and it is to be hoped that they, as well as other species that once used the area, might well be seen again as the area develops further.

A bridge crosses the adjacent railway line and the lane affords access to land occupied by Aberthaw Power Station and a footpath to the beach. Across the channel lies the coast of Somerset.

The gorse of the limestone cliffs and foreshore in the vicinity provides ideal habitat for these little finches.

This is part of the original sea wall for Pleasant Harbour at Aberthaw. It is now protected from the sea by a new sea wall built to protect the power station. The port of Pleasant Harbour was served by the Port Road running from Cardiff which was only a very small town at the time. The lime kilns are in the background.

This OS cut mark can be found on the NW parapet of the railway bridge. It marks a point 31.878m above mean sea level.

This marker is where the GWR met the lime kiln's tramway system.

This appears to be the rope guide for the lime kiln's tramway. Another view of the track is at Image

These are the two much larger kilns built just to the north of the main building. A tramway ran between the buildings. There are some details about the history of the site on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberthaw_Lime_Works