Dulcote Quarry Explained
Dulcote Quarry is a disused limestone quarry at Dulcote, near Wells on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. The quarry measures around 600m (2,000feet) from West to East and around 350m (1,150feet) from North to South, with an area of 18acres, which is surrounded by 80acres of woodland.[1] [2]
The site has been used for quarrying since the mid-19th century.[3] The Foster Yeoman Company was founded at Dulcote, in 1923,[3] and later became part of Aggregate Industries. The site achieved an output of approximately 0.25M tonnes per year of Carboniferous Limestone, for general purpose construction aggregates.[4] Much of the stone was moved on the Cheddar Valley Line (a branch line of the Great Western Railway) by an independent company which became known as Mendip Rail.[5]
A Geodiversity audit of the site was carried out in 2004, which highlighted the limestone strata and fossils identified.[6] These include Carboniferous Limestone overlain by Triassic Mercia Mudstones and Sandstones with geodes, which were formed by siliceous mineral replacement.[7] [8]
In 2007 the quarry was bought by the Kilbride group, a subsidiary of Kilmartin Holdings which itself became part of Hansteen Holdings. When the parent company went into receivership the part owning Dulcote survived and put the worked-out quarry site up for commercial redevelopment with outline planning permission for a price of £1.5 million.[9] [10] In 2016 the site was bought for development as a food production site for Charlie Bigham's,[11] which opened in 2017.[12] In March 2022, a multi-user path (part of the Strawberry Line) connecting the end of the Wells-Dulcote railway path at Dulcote underpass to the quarry entrance was officially opened.[13]
External links
See also
51.1981°N -2.624°W
Notes and References
- Web site: Former Foster Yeoman Quarry, Dulcote Wells Somerset BA5 3PY. Acuitus. 20 September 2017.
- Web site: Dulcote Quarry, Wells. Russell. 20 September 2017.
- Web site: The Quarries. Dulcote. 6 September 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402053907/http://www.dulcote.com/webpages/quarries.htm. 2 April 2012.
- Web site: History — West Mendip Quarries. British Geological Survey. 6 September 2011.
- Book: Searl, Hugh. Jacob, Robin. Foster Yeoman – The Rail Album: 1923-1998. Foster Yeoman Ltd. Frome. 1998. 3–21. 0-948448-12-1.
- Web site: Dulcote Quarry, Dulcote, Nr Wells . Geodiversity Audit of Active Aggregate Quarries: Quarries in Somerset . 2007-02-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204355/http://www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/media/70848/Geodiversity%20-%20DULCOTE-REPORT.pdf . 2007-09-30 . dead .
- Web site: History — West Mendip quarries. British Geological Survey. 20 September 2017.
- Web site: Roche. David. Geodiversity Audit of Active Aggregate Quarries Quarries in Somerset Project Overview Report. 20 September 2017.
- News: Quarry will not be affected by parent company's bankruptcy. 6 September 2011. This is Somerset. 12 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120606144007/http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Quarry-affected-parent-company-s-bankruptcy/story-12309870-detail/story.html. 6 June 2012. dead.
- Web site: Dulcote Quarry For Sale, Wells, Somerset Offers Invited Over £1.5M. Development South West. 6 September 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402053907/http://www.developmentlandsouthwest.co.uk/dulcote_quarry_for_sale.php. 2 April 2012.
- News: Bury. Rhiannon. Ready-made meal producer Charlie Bigham's buys Somerset quarry site for new base. 20 September 2017. Telegraph. 16 May 2016.
- Web site: Dinkovski . Noli . Ready meals manufacturer to create 50 jobs . Food Manufacture UK . 14 April 2022. 30 October 2017.
- Web site: Wyke . Ros . New section of the Strawberry Line Opens - Mendip Matters - 11th March . Wells Liberal Democrats . 5 September 2022. 11 March 2022.
