Monument record MWX3018 - Limestone quarry, Seacombe Bottom, Worth Matravers

A large cliff-side quarry at Seacombe Bottom was worked from the 18th century until 1931. It is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar.

Limestone quarry at Corfe Castle Estate. <1>

Large scale cliff-side quarry situated on both sides of Seacombe Bottom, south-east of Worth Matravers which formerly worked the Portland Freestone. The quarry, which hade the advantage of inland access, and worked from the 18th century until 1931. The earliest workings are represented by the open quarry, including a linear openwork which extends 300m inland, and the later workings by an extensive network of underground galleries. These are entered through unworked stone pillars, or stacks of stone blocks, to support the roofs. Most of the cliff-side buildings and concrete foundations of a compressor, and stone saws, survive. The galleries are now unstable. The foundations for steam cranes can be seen above the quarry. The site includes an open pit 200m to the West. The galleries are now home to the Greater Horseshoe bat. <2>

Large scale cliff-side quarry at Seacombe Bottom worked from the 18th century until 1931. Visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar <3-4> The site was digitally recorded during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Papworth, M, 1994, Eastington, Acton, Westwood, Wilkswood, New Barn, Corfe Castle Estate, Wessex Region, 59 (Unpublished document). SWX1388.

Seacombe quarry is sited on the coast and cut into the Portland Purbeck Limestone cliffs. There are frequent references to it from the 1770s. The rock outcrops on the coast are freestones and good for ashlar, dressings and carving. In the accounts for 1771 William Chinchin dug 418 tons of ashlar or front stone 101 tons of backing stone, 7 sets of caps and legs (i.e. staddle stones to support granaries) and 1 ton for agricultural rollers. In the 1809-1811 accounts Seacombe is recorded as the place where stone was loaded onto boats for export “May 6th – June 3rd Chinchin Bower to Henry Bankes Esq for ground of stone shipped from Seacombe Quarry £1-1s-10d”. The Dorset Quarry Company ran the quarry until the early 1930s. The Bankes archive contains an inventory of the equipment held at the quarry in 1935. Letters written by the agent Mr Lodder indicate that Mr Bankes was considering running the quarry as part of the Estate but nothing seems to have come of this. The inventory lists machinery in the quarry caves, under two machine sheds, in the loading yard on the cliff edge and also refers to the west and north bore holes. Among the equipment listed are a 5 ton steam crane, a 3 ton hand crane, 67’ crane arm, 2 iron scoops, 2 iron trolleys with 4 wheels, 3 scoops, 1 set of dogs with chains and an iron square tip. Under the machine sheds were a block saw and a parallel saw fixed to concrete foundations. These two concrete fixings are still visible at the cliff edge.

<2> Lancashire Archaeological Unit, 2000, Monument Protection Programme Quarrying Industry Step 3.2 Additional Site Assessments, Dorset 16 (Monograph). SDO18060.

<3> Royal Air Force, 20-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA187 3006-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12787.

<4> Royal Air Force, 16-AUG-1941, RAF 1416/S40H50 MSO 31243 PO-011-012 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12788.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1466624 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:37PM