Monument record MDO19497 - Inmosthay Quarries, Portland

Extensive quarried area in centre of island with tramway courses and waste tips. Disturbed by late C20 quarrying. Backfilled at the north end where there is a small 'island' of unquarried stone. A much larger 'island' remains towards the south. On the top of this is the historic spoil tip known as Fancy Beach. The first isolated quarry in this area was Fancy Quarry, recorded in 1828. By 1863 the main quarrying was advancing from the north where there was a tramway branch from the Merchants’ Railway at Yeates; a second line entered from Tout Quarries through a tunnel under Wide Street. Another tramway branch crossed Easton Lane to serve two new quarries on the east side, while there was a third quarry just to the south of these. A large part was still unquarried in 1889 but Wide Street Quarries had been developed down the west side. The quarries were progressively joined by piecemeal developments in the C20, particularly in the south and central parts. Parts of the quarry were active in 2006.

Extensive quarried area in centre of island with tramway courses and waste tips. Disturbed by late C20 quarrying. Backfilled at the north end where there is a small 'island' of unquarried stone. A much larger 'island' remains towards the south. On the top of this is the historic spoil tip known as Fancy Beach. The first isolated quarry in this area was Fancy Quarry, recorded in 1828. (1) By 1863 the main quarrying was advancing from the north where there was a tramway branch from the Merchants’ Railway at Yeates; a second line entered from Tout Quarries through a tunnel under Wide Street. Another tramway branch crossed Easton Lane to serve two new quarries on the east side, while there was a third quarry just to the south of these. (2) A large part was still unquarried in 1889 but Wide Street Quarries had been developed down the west side. (3) The quarries were progressively joined by piecemeal developments in the C20, particularly in the south and central parts. (4-7) Parts of the quarry were active in 2006.

The quarrying area of Inmosthay Quarries, described above in (1-7), is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s to the south of Fortuneswell. The quarries were plotted to their extent in the 1940s and are visible over an area measuring approximately 890 m by 460 m, centred on SY 68903 72408. (8) The majority of the quarry area had been filled in by the date of the most recent comprehensive aerial imagery available to the project. (9) This site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Wyld, J, 1828, Plan of the Island of Portland in the County of Dorset (Map). SDO10236.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1889, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.11 (Map). SDO10240.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1901, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.11 (Map). SDO10241.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1929, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.11 (Map). SDO10242.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1960, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet SY6972 (Map). SDO10257.

<7> 1965, View north east over Bowers, Trade, Tout, Inmosthay and beyond (Aerial Photograph). SDO10258.

<8> Royal Air Force, 13-APR-1946, RAF 106G/UK/1411 4043-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13039.

<9> XX-XXX-2009, Google Earth (Aerial Photograph). SDO12705.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:55PM