Quarry Wood is a small wooded area in

Preston Park Preston Park may refer to: ;;In UK * Preston Park, Brighton **Preston Park railway station, Brighton * Preston Park (Brent), London * Preston Park, Stockton-on-Tees ;;In USA * Preston Park, Pennsylvania * Preston Park, Roanoke, Virginia Preston Par ...

, Preston-on-Tees in

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, England. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2004 by Stockton Borough Council. The geography of the site is that of a large hole with banked sides leading to a small pond at the bottom and is densely populated with mature trees. The

River Tees The River Tees (), in Northern England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar near Middlesbrough. The modern day history of the river has be ...

is to the East of the wood. As the name suggests the site was a Victorian Whinstone quarry from the 1820s to 1850s. The pond is where the main mine shaft was located, and although the depth of the pond is not known it is believed to be no more than 10m deep. The pond is not connected to the River Tees due to the impermeable nature of Whinstone. It is now a popular destination for aspiring younger mountain bikers, with the natural terrain providing ample features to ride. Preston Park itself is currently going through re-development work, and is expected to re-open fully in Summer 2012.

References

External links

* Local Nature Reserves in County Durham Borough of Stockton-on-Tees {{Stockton-geo-stub