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 ...

south of Upper Chicksgrove in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

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

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

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

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, Malmstone and

Kentish rag Kentish ragstone is a hard grey limestone in Kent, England, drawn from the geological sequence known as the Hythe Beds of the Lower Greensand. For millennia it has been quarried for use both locally and further afield. Geology Ragstone occurs i ...

. Thousands of tonnes of stone from Chicksgrove Quarry have been used in the restoration of

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

. Other uses for the stone include restoration at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

Chapter House and

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

Geological interest

Strata at the quarry were first studied by Etheldred Benett 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 Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

period, around 145 million years ago. The stone is from the upper part of the

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...

Formation and the lowest beds of the Purbeck Limestone Group.

External links

Chicksgrove Quarry Ltd – operator's website

Natural England 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