Huckford Quarry: Industrial Heritage in Winterbourne

Located in Winterbourne Down, Huckford Quarry is a relic of the industrial past where they mined the area to build the overhead viaduct.<br /><br />The quarry was used at the beginning of the 20th century to provide stone for the Wotton Bassett to Patchway railway line and many buildings in the area until the early 1940s when the quarry was closed.<br /><br />Nature has taken over the site that was untouched for 65 years, creating stunning views. The quarry is the ideal space for ferns, mosses and lichens to grow since it is deep, damp and dark throughout much of the year.<br /><br />Various species of fern can be spotted among old quarry boulders and the shaded woodland banks, as well as, native woodland flowers, including stitchwort, bluebells, violets, foxgloves, yellow archangel and wood anemones in the woodland area along the River Frome.<br /><br />In 1993, Huckford Quarry was designated as a Local Nature Reserve. It's owned by South Gloucestershire Council and managed in partnership with the Winterbourne Countryside Group.