King Barrow Quarry

Overhead view of King Barrow Quarry, looking towards The Grove village area.

King Barrow Quarry (a.k.a Kingsbarrow Quarry) is a disused site of former stone quarries, now a nature reserve on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is located close to the area of New Ground, in the north-east corner area of Tophill. Close to the Portland Heights Hotel, Tout Quarry is also found further west over two main roads, which was transformed into a sculpture park in 1983. The quarry size spans 12.2 hectares.^[1]

Broadcroft Quarry, located to the east of the village Easton and close to The Grove village, is also another Portland nature reserve.

History and Nature Reserve status

The site is based on former quarries which were abandoned 100 years ago. In the nineteenth century there was extensive quarrying in the northern part of Portland within King Barrow Quarry area.^[2] Originally when the area was first quarried, huge numbers of Roman coffins and human bones were discovered. However, most of these were smashed up by the quarrying workers and added to the aggregate that was removed from the area.^[3] Since being abandoned the area had been left to regenerate naturally, with the aid of scrub management and control of recreational activities.

Since around 2004 the quarry became a nature reserve after the then-site owners the Hansons handed the quarry over to the Dorset Wildlife Trust.^[4] The quarry then became known as King Barrow Quarries Nature Reserve, where it remains part of the Isle of Purbeck Site of Special Scientific Interest, highlighting a variety of wildlife.^[5] The quarry is also one of the few places on Portland displaying the original land height of the area.^[6] Upon the reserves creation, the area was tidied up to encourage visitors and wildlife, whilst unstable piles of stone blocks were being fixed with bags of cement.^[2][3]

Motorbiking use

Since the 1970s, the quarry became a popular area for motorbike riders as a safe place to ride. However, once the quarry was designated as a Nature Reserve, the future of the motorcyclists was in doubt and in late 2003, there were hopes of a compromise.^[3] Since becoming popular with bikers, a formal agreement to use the site for scramblers in the 1980s was created however it lapsed. Since the lapse, the quarry was informally used by bikers ever since and the then-site owners Hansons had never objected.^[4]

In the Dorset Echo issue of 3 September 2003, an article announced that a temporary truce had been agreed for the quarry, relating to motorbike riding. The temporary agreement over the use of a quarry was based between the nature groups and the newly formed Portland Motorcycle Club. Around 100 people attended a meeting last night to discuss the issues, which resulted in the scramblers being allowed to use part of the quarry while they search for a new site, while the rest of the area was to become the nature reserve. Chairman of the motorcycle club Mike Laming had stated "The meeting was very well attended and got a bit lively at one point, but most of the people there supported of the bikers. The area we need to practise is only about a third or a quarter of the quarry. I don't know how many people go there on a weekend but I'd say most of those who attended the meeting had used the quarry at some point. We don't want to cause trouble with anyone on the island, we just want something for the children to do and somewhere for them to practise a sport they love."^[4]

Wildlife

The quarry features a wide range of plants and animals, hosting flora and fauna specific to limestone soil.^[7] Described as one of Portland's prime nature habitats,^[8] within the area, both lichens and bryophytes are plentiful, and various notable plant species include horseshoe vetch, kidney vetch and autumn gentian. King Barrow Quarries is particularly known for its blue butterflies and both adonis and chalkhill blue butterflies can be spotted, whilst the reserve's bird species include whitethroats, linnets, meadow pipits & little owls.^[1]

Among the wildlife at the reserve, an ancient forest with fossilised remains of pre-historic trees is also on site. As well as ancient trees, the disused quarry has rope stone which is full of fossils of oysters and cockles, old mining railway tunnels and ancient stone walls.^[6]

In June 2010, BBC News published an article based on quarry, titled "Butterflies thrive on disused Portland quarry site". The article stated "Long celebrated for its limestone, Portland also has a reputation for an array of butterflies, which enjoy the shelter of the now disused quarry." The article also noted a butterfly walk at taking place at the quarry.^[5]

Area

With further work to link up Portland's disused public quarries as part of the Portland Quarry Trail project, in 2010 it was decided to unblock an old tramway tunnel to provide a pedestrian walkway under the main road from Tout Quarry to Inmosthay Quarry. In addition, the route of the Merchants' Railway behind Tillycombe had been opened up as well as the tramway route into King Barrow Quarries.^[9]

Within the quarry is Waycroft Tramway Tunnel which was the last quarry tramway tunnel still accessible at both ends on Portland, until the opening of the Tout-Inmosthay Tunnel. During the late 1980s, the local people expressed concerns that this tunnel might collapse under the influence of nearby quarry blasting on working sites. However, the tunnel still survives and was strengthened in 2006 to make it safe.^[3]

In the quarry lies an abandoned and heavily worn, rusted remains of a car. It has been left in the quarry to date.^[10][11] Alongside the east of the reserve is an active Portland stone quarry.^[12]

References

Coordinates: 50°33′19″N 2°26′10″W / 50.5552°N 2.4360°W / 50.5552; -2.4360