Much Wenlock is a quiet little town sitting in central Shropshire. And is mostly reknown for the Olympian Games which apparently inspired the Olympic Games we know and watch every 4 years. However, a few hundred million years ago it was the site of a tropical reef, a few miles south of the equator...
Tropical reefs developed in warm, shallow seas during the Silurian Period, 440 - 410 million years ago. The fossilised remains of one of these reefs are preserved in limestone rocks in parts of England and Wales. This is Wenlock Limestone.
I started reading into local geology studies and Limestone formations in order to provide some more background into the local quarrying, but this proved to be no small matter and as I'd hate to come across as the complete geology n00b that I am I'll just point you in the right direction instead.
Wenlock Group - Wikipedia
Sedgwick Museum - Why is the Wenlock Limestone important?
BBC - Shropshire - Nature - The wonder of Wenlock Edge
http://palaeontology.palass-pubs.org/pdf/Vol 13/Pages 297-302.pdf
Lea Quarry has been disused for little over 3 years now, but in its' prime worked the local land for varying formations of Limestone. The Wenlock limestone occurs either as a series of thin limestones within shales or as thick massive beds; it is sometimes hard and crystalline and sometimes soft, earthy or concretionary.
Bardon Aggregates took over the site and excavated the stone for commercial purposes, but also worked with local geologists in studying the land and collecting stone and fossil samples.
Since closure the site looks to have been relatively left alone. The silos and storage sheds have become roosting sites for various wildlife, and the area a common ground for hikers and dog walkers. According to a local resident the National Trust are interested in buying the site, although nothing official online.
Reception and site offices.
A couple of fossil samples.
Conveyor belts criss-cross around the site transporting the rock through crushers and to several drop-off chutes.
There are said to be over 25,000 different spcimens collected from the area.
A scale model of the area, although not dated unfortunately.
Segmented map showing different marked territories, although unfortunately couldn't find any correspondance to say what it was used for..
A tunnel leads from one of the quarry faces under the road and up to the processing lines. To the right is a blast siren.
Going from the scale model the quarrying around the existing lake/pond has created this rich and expansive lake at the bottom of the quarry workings.
Anyone for a swim?
Tropical reefs developed in warm, shallow seas during the Silurian Period, 440 - 410 million years ago. The fossilised remains of one of these reefs are preserved in limestone rocks in parts of England and Wales. This is Wenlock Limestone.
I started reading into local geology studies and Limestone formations in order to provide some more background into the local quarrying, but this proved to be no small matter and as I'd hate to come across as the complete geology n00b that I am I'll just point you in the right direction instead.
Wenlock Group - Wikipedia
Sedgwick Museum - Why is the Wenlock Limestone important?
BBC - Shropshire - Nature - The wonder of Wenlock Edge
http://palaeontology.palass-pubs.org/pdf/Vol 13/Pages 297-302.pdf
Lea Quarry has been disused for little over 3 years now, but in its' prime worked the local land for varying formations of Limestone. The Wenlock limestone occurs either as a series of thin limestones within shales or as thick massive beds; it is sometimes hard and crystalline and sometimes soft, earthy or concretionary.
Bardon Aggregates took over the site and excavated the stone for commercial purposes, but also worked with local geologists in studying the land and collecting stone and fossil samples.
Since closure the site looks to have been relatively left alone. The silos and storage sheds have become roosting sites for various wildlife, and the area a common ground for hikers and dog walkers. According to a local resident the National Trust are interested in buying the site, although nothing official online.
Reception and site offices.
A couple of fossil samples.
Conveyor belts criss-cross around the site transporting the rock through crushers and to several drop-off chutes.
There are said to be over 25,000 different spcimens collected from the area.
A scale model of the area, although not dated unfortunately.
Segmented map showing different marked territories, although unfortunately couldn't find any correspondance to say what it was used for..
A tunnel leads from one of the quarry faces under the road and up to the processing lines. To the right is a blast siren.
Going from the scale model the quarrying around the existing lake/pond has created this rich and expansive lake at the bottom of the quarry workings.
Anyone for a swim?
