Clints Quarry Nature Reserve ^Featured

Clints Quarry, a dramatic looking nature reserve with vertical cliff faces up to 20 metres high, was created when the area was quarried for limestone. The limestone was used for agriculture, building and the local steel industry but quarrying ended in 1930 and since then the quarry has been left to nature. It has become a great place for wildlife, with added geological treasures and industrial archaeology.

Ox-eye daisies, bee and pyramid orchids have colonized the old spoil heaps, and coral fossils can be found on the quarry walls. There is an old lime kiln in the woodland - a reminder of the site’s industrial past. Work is underway to ensure that the kiln is safely restored as an historic feature of the quarry.

The woodland within the reserve is being managed to encourage more diverse wildlife and is already home to a range of typical woodland birds. The grassland areas are rich in species of wildflowers, including marsh orchid and common spotted orchid. Butterflies including gatekeeper, ringlet and orange tip are regularly seen.

location: West Cumbria
project delivered by: Cumbria Wildlife Trust

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