Are there any quarries in dorset

Whilst the rocks of the Jurassic Coast are of great scientific importance, an intimate human connection with geology is revealed through its links with industrial, artistic and cultural expression. The prehistoric environments of the Triassic, Jurassic or Cretaceous feel less distant when we realise they have provided raw materials to feed our creativity.

Places to Go. East Devon. West Dorset. Weymouth and Portland. Weymouth Portland Ringstead. Jurassic Coast Map. Walking the Jurassic Coast. Cycling the Jurassic Coast. Dog Friendly Beaches. Holiday Parks. Jurassic Coast Highlights.

Best Camping Spots on the Jurassic Coast. Top Rainy Day Activities. Chalk pit - geograph. Chalk pit near Lulworth - geograph. Chalk pit near Muckleford - geograph. Chalk Quarry, Stonehill Down - geograph. Cheyne Quarries - geograph. Cheyne Weare Quarry - geograph. Clay Pit - geograph.

Clay Pit and West Creech Farm - geograph. Clay Pit near Arne - geograph. Climbers at Hedbury Quarry - geograph. Climbers at hedbury quarry dorset. Climbing at Hedbury Quarry - geograph. Coast Path, God Nore - geograph. Coastal Quarry - geograph.

Coombefield Quarry entrance, Portland. Disused Chalk Pit - geograph. Disused coastal quarry, Portland Bill - geograph. Disused pit, Yellowham Hill, Puddletown Forest - geograph. Disused quarry - geograph. Disused quarry above Mutton Cove - geograph.

Disused Quarry buildings Winspit, Worth Matravers - geograph. Disused quarry Winspit. Disused quarry, near Southwell, Portland - geograph. Entrance to new quarry - geograph. Freshwater Bay - geograph. From Tenants Hill - geograph. Gravel extraction at West Knighton - geograph. Gravel pit West Knighton - geograph. Hedbury Quarry - geograph.

Hengistbury Head, old quarry - geograph. Hengistbury Head, old quarry and view - geograph. King Barrow Quarry, Portland, Dorset. King Barrow Quarry, Portland. Ledge of disused quarry - geograph. Limestone monolith at St Alban's Head quarry - geograph. Limestone quarry on West Cliff - geograph. Dogs On a lead. Please remove dog mess from site. See above for more information about dogs on nature reserves. When to visit Opening times Open at all times.

About the reserve Stone sculptures and scarce wildlife make this former quarry an interesting and unusual site to visit for all the family. Portland Quarries habitat restoration Large scale habitat restoration by removal of invasive, non-native scrub has been undertaken across the Portland Quarries as part of a Viridor funded partnership project. Habitat Lowland calcareous grassland Rocky habitat. Contact number: Contact email: info dorsetwildlifetrust. See Reserve's Twitter.

As a focus for quarrying, nowhere else in Purbeck was more central or important than Swanage. This town became a centre for the mediaeval trade in limestone, where serious quarrying began in about and continued until the mid 19th century. This was the heyday of great stone barons, the businessmen who made their fortunes from the industry, George Burt, and John Mowlem being probably the prime movers.

Swanage was built from stone in more ways than one; exports from the quarries secured its location and the prosperity of the Burt and Mowlem families.

It was during this period too, that the quarry platforms in the cliff outcrops at Tilly Whim, Dancing Ledge, Winspit and Seacombe were cut. The Tilly Whim Caves at Anvil Point are the most easterly of the coastal quarries and are thought to have originally been open-cast working which later shifted towards adit or drift-mining from galleries cut into the cliffside.

To support the roof, quarrymen left pillars in the in-situ limestone or else built pillars from stone wasters. Blocks were lowered from the caves using timber derricks whims that loaded the stone onto lighters or barges which then trans-shipped the stone to an offshore cargo vessel in calm weather. Similarly at Dancing Ledge Quarry, the stone was lowered to a large sloping ledge, and carried to a shipment point at the very edge.

Here the trammels or ruts made by the carts or wagons, which moved the stone, can still be seen. Quarrying at Dancing Ledge ceased in Winspit is an area just below Worth Matravers on the south coast where large cliffside quarries have been opened on both sides of the valley.