Batts Combe quarry

Batts Combe quarry

Batts Combe quarry, gbmapping|ST460550 is a limestone quarry on the edge of Cheddar village on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England.

It has been operating since the early 20th century and is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which is supplied to an on-site lime kiln, the remainder is sold as coated or dusted aggregates.

The limestone at this site is close to 99% carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite). [cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott |isbn= 0715372971 ]

Boxes were placed in Hanson woodland adjoining the company's Batts Combe quarry to encourage Dormice to breed, and monitored with the help of pupils from Wells Cathedral School.

A lime-burning kiln the site was closed for a while in 2006, after testing showed quicklime dust was escaping into the atmosphere. The kiln, which produces 200,000 tonnes of quicklime a year for use in the steel industry, requires £300,000 of investment to resolve the problems. The closure follows an earlier warning from the Environment Agency when the company was notified that it should tighten up procedures at the site. Quicklime dust is a health hazard: in large quantities it can cause skin irritation and damage to the eyes and throat. [cite web |url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/industry/previous/aprmay06.html#QUAR |title=Quarry kiln closed over dust fears |accessdate=2007-02-11 |format= |work=Minerals UK ]

There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the site. [cite web |url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/media/896B4/MendipAONB.pdf |title=Mendip Hills: An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |accessdate=2007-02-11 |format= |work=Somerset County Council ]

See also

* Quarries of the Mendip Hills

References

External links

* [http://www.mindat.org/loc-4889.html Data for this mine at mindat.org]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cloford Quarry — Site of Special Scientific Interest …   Wikipedia

  • Cook's Wood Quarry — Site of Special Scientific Interest …   Wikipedia

  • Moon's Hill Quarry — Site of Special Scientific Interest …   Wikipedia

  • Dulcote Quarry — Dulcote Quarry, was a limestone quarry at Dulcote, near Wells on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. The quarry measures around 600 metres (2,000 ft) from West to East and around 350 metres (1,150 ft) from North to South, with an area… …   Wikipedia

  • Doulting Stone Quarry — grid reference ST648436 is a limestone quarry at Doulting, on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. At Present there are only three quarries in the country quarrying Doulting stone. The Largest has been producing stone since Roman times.[1] Until… …   Wikipedia

  • Colemans Quarry — Colemans Quarry, grid reference ST726452 is a limestone quarry at Holwell, near Nunney on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. The Colemans Quarry complex comprises four pits separated by three roads (including the A361) The quarry exhibits pale… …   Wikipedia

  • Cloud Quarry — (grid reference ST630577) was a quarry near Temple Cloud, in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. During World War II a factory was built in the disused quarry to make tyres for Avro Lancaster Bomber. The roof was painted blue …   Wikipedia

  • Cheddar — This article is about the settlement in Somerset, England. For the cheese, see Cheddar cheese. For other uses, see Cheddar (disambiguation). Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • Cheddar Gorge — This article is about a geographical feature in Somerset, England. For the game, see Cheddar Gorge (game). Cheddar Gorge Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. The gorge is the… …   Wikipedia

  • Mendip Rail — The railhead at Torr Works Mendip Rail Ltd is an independent freight operating railway company in Great Britain. It is composed of the rail operation divisions of Aggregate Industries (formerly Foster Yeoman) and Hanson Aggregates (previously… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”