Broadcroft Quarry

One area of Broadcroft Quarry.

Broadcroft Quarry is an active stone quarry and part butterfly nature reserve located nearby on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is located to the west of East Weares, where it lies directly to the east of the village Easton and close to The Grove village. It is a valued home for a number of butterfly species. Although part of the area is the nature reserve, the working area is one of the largest active quarries on Portland and has supplied London with natural Portland stone for many years, even iconic buildings such as St Paul's Cathedral. The quarry is owned by Portland Stone Firms Ltd, along with Perryfield and Coombefield Quarries.^[1]

King Barrow Quarry, located close to the area of New Ground, in the north-east corner area of Tophill, is also another Portland nature reserve.

History and Nature Reserve status

Part of Broadcroft Quarry with HM Prison Portland, a Young Offenders Institution in the distance.

Originally, Broadcroft Quarry had been worked for many years in the form of a number of smaller individual family run quarries which eventually merged to form a large quarry. In the past quarrying for aggregate was undertaken below the dimension stone beds down to the Portland clay, where Broadcroft was the only area on Portland where the full stratigraphical column could be viewed. In recent times, expansion into the North Western area of Broadcroft is taking place to meet the rolling contract for Commonwealth War Graves Commission amongst other projects.^[1]

In recent years, the long abandoned area of the quarry became a nature reserve and is now known as Broadcroft Quarry Nature Reserve or Broadcroft Quarry and Butterfly Reserve. It has been leased by the Butterfly Conservation from the quarry company owners since 1994. Spanning over seven hectares, the project of restoring the area involved care in returning natural herb-rich flora and scrub to the landscape, which in turn brought many indigenous birds, butterflies and insects.^[2]

In April–May 2011, a conservation team from Weymouth spent six weeks snipping, sawing and burning up unwanted scrubby bushes at the nature reserve at Broadcroft Quarry in order to improve the habitats for butterflies and moths. The group also worked with a digger to scrape off the surface on part of the reserve to create the bare-ground habitat that the rare Silver-studded Blue butterfly needs to survive. The project was funded through the Awards for All strand of the Big Lottery. As a follow-up, Butterfly Conservation held a public event at Broadcroft Quarry over the first weekend of July to show visitors some of the butterflies and moths there.^[3]

Wildlife

The quarry features a wide range of plants and animals – mainly insects, also hosting flora and fauna specific to limestone soil. The stony, calcareous soil supports a herb-rich flora with local plants such as bee and pyramidal orchids, yellow vetchling, autumn gentian and ivy broomrape. The quarry's sparse vegetation conditions hold the butterflies and other insects.^[4]

There are over twenty-four different species of butterfly to be seen in the reserve. Most notably is the Silver-studded Blue, which remain very abundant in the area as they have made their colony on the limestone.^[2] Some other butterfly species include Small Blues, Chalkhill Blues, a very strong population of Common Blues, whilst migrant species such as Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady have been seen in the area. Moth species include Portland Ribbon Wave, Four-spotted moth, Chalk Carpet, Beautiful Gothic and Valerian Pug.^[4]

Aside from insects, birds found the area include, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker and other migrant birds. On occasion, both Roe deer and the herd of Feral goats that help to graze the cliffs on East Weares, can be seen in the area.^[4]

On the eastern edge of the quarry are some ponds which hold various amphibian species. The ponds are some of the very few that are found on Portland.^[5]

Motorbiking use

On 13 November 2011, Portland Stone Firms Ltd held a Track 'n' Trail Enduro Event in the quarry. It was the first event of its kind and attracted many enthusiasts around the UK, many of which whom rated the contest as one of the toughest and most enjoyable in the UK afterwards. The Track 'n' Trails aim is to organise events to give youth and adult riders a safe and professionally organised way to enjoy the experience.^[6]

References

Coordinates: 50°32′48″N 2°25′44″W / 50.5468°N 2.4288°W / 50.5468; -2.4288