Chicksgrove Quarry () is a

geological Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle o ...

south of Upper Chicksgrove in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, England notified in 1971. Chilmark stone, a form of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, is quarried at the site. Chicksgrove Quarry Ltd also operates Chilmark Mine, a site 1.5 miles to the northeast at

Chilmark Quarries Chilmark Quarries () is a 9.65 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), in the ravine south of the village of Chilmark in Wiltshire, England. The SSSI was first notified in 1977. Its importance as a home ...

Chilmark stone

Chilmark stone is a fine quality building stone used extensively for construction and restoration projects throughout the South of England and nationally as a match for other stones such as

Reigate Stone Reigate Stone is a freestone that was mined from the Upper Greensand in north east Surrey. It was used in building work throughout the middle ages and early modern period. It is sometimes classified as a calcareous sandstone, although very li ...

, Malmstone and Kentish rag. Thousands of tonnes of stone from Chicksgrove Quarry have been used in the restoration of Salisbury Cathedral. Other uses for the stone include restoration at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

Chapter House and Hampton Court Palace.

Geological interest

Strata at the quarry were first studied by

Etheldred Benett Etheldred Anna Maria Benett (22 July 1776 – 11 January 1845) was an early English geologist often credited with being the first female geologist, having devoted much of her life to collecting and studying fossils that she discovered in South ...

in 1819. The geology exposed by the present and historical workings at Chicksgrove Quarry contribute heavily towards its classification as an SSSI, and access to the former quarry faces for future generations features in the quarry's restoration plans. The Chilmark stone at Chicksgrove Quarry dates from the latter part of the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

period, around 145 million years ago. The stone is from the upper part of the Portland Stone Formation and the lowest beds of the Purbeck Limestone Group.

External links

Chicksgrove Quarry Ltd – operator's website

English Nature website
(SSSI information) {{coord, 51.0657, N, 2.0556, W, type:landmark_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(ST962296), display=title Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1971 Quarries in Wiltshire