Monument record MWX4403 - 19th to 20th century Suckthumb Quarry, Portland

Suckthumb Quarry, marked on the second edition OS map. There was no quarrying here in 1863, but Suckthumb Quarry was already extensive by 1901. By 1926 Suckthumb’s workings had joined with Coombefield Quarries. Modern backfilling and levelling of the former Suckthumb quarry face, gullet and banks has left a depression. The quarries are visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s and 1960s.

Suckthumb Quarry, marked on the second edition OS map. (1)
There was no quarrying here in 1863, but Suckthumb Quarry was already extensive by 1901. (2) By 1926 Suckthumb’s workings had joined with Coombefield Quarries. (3) Photographs show the quarry at work in 1930. (4-6) This site remained intact (7), with face, gullet and stone banks with a timber hand-derrick of 3 tons capacity at SY 687707 (8) until shortly before June 1990. Modern backfilling and levelling of the former Suckthumb quarry face, gullet and banks has left a depression at SY 68607066. (9) After removal, the hand crane was restored and re-erected in 1997 as part of a memorial beside the main road at Priory Corner. (10) This is site MDO 19634.
The north-east section of Suckthumb Quarry around SY 68907085 was being quarried in the 1980s as 'Weston Quarries' and a published photrograph shows a steel electric derrick at work in 1984. (11) This quarry has since been back-filled.

Suckthumb Quarry, the 19th to 20th century Limestone Quarry described above in (1-11), is visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s and 1960s to the east of Southwell. The quarry is visible over an area measuring approximately 780 m by 630 m. The quarry was digitally mapped together with its continuation to the east in the area recorded as Coomefield Quarries (see MWX4390). (12-14) The quarry also continues to the west, in the area recorded as Weston or Grangecroft Quarries (recorded separately at MWX4044). The eastern part of the site is still visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial imagery available to the project but the western part of the quarry has been filled in. (15) This site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1901, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.15 (Map). SDO10268.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1929, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.15 (Map). SDO10269.

<4> Stanier, P, 1985, Quarries and Quarrying, p7 BGS photo April 1930, A4976 (Monograph). SDO10371.

<5> Stanier, P, 1995, Quarries of England & Wales, p76 BGS photo April 1930, A4952 (Monograph). SDO10275.

<6> Smith, M, 1997, Railways of the Isle of Portland, p21 BGS photo April 1930 (Monograph). SDO10334.

<7> Hudson, K, 1984, Industrial History from the Air, plate 10 CUC aerial photo June 1948 (Monograph). SWX2152.

<8> Stanier, Peter, 1989, Dorset's Industrial Heritage, p31 photo of crane in 1985 (Monograph). SWX1300.

<9> AC Archaeology, 2002, The Isle of Portland Review of Mineral Planning Permissions Stage 1: archaeological baseline study for Hanson Bath & Portland Stone, document no. 4299/1/4. (Unpublished document). SDO10260.

<10> Morris, S, 2006, Portland Then and Now, plates 63 & 65 (Monograph). SDO10291.

<11> Stanier, P, 1985, Quarries and Quarrying, cover photograph (Monograph). SDO10371.

<12> Royal Air Force, 13-APR-1946, RAF 106G/UK/1411 4051-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13031.

<13> Royal Air Force, 13-APR-1946, RAF 106G/UK/1411 4044-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13037.

<14> Meridian Air Maps Ltd, 26-JAN-1968, MAL 68002/011-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13065.

<15> XX-XXX-2009, Google Earth (Aerial Photograph). SDO12705.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 4:08PM