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View Full Version : Lea Quarry- Telford. Report March 2011



urbexphotos
10-04-2011, 05:35 PM
Lea Quarry. Telford.

History with most stolen from others.

Much Wenlock is a quiet little town sitting in central Shropshire. And is mostly reknown for the Olympian Games which apparently inspired the Olympic Games we know and watch every 4 years. However, a few hundred million years ago it was the site of a tropical reef, a few miles south of the equator...

Tropical reefs developed in warm, shallow seas during the Silurian Period, 440 - 410 million years ago. The fossilised remains of one of these reefs are preserved in limestone rocks in parts of England and Wales. This is Wenlock Limestone.

Whoever wrote this started reading into local geology studies and Limestone formations in order to provide some more background into the local quarrying, but gave up and posted these links instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenlock_Group
http://www.sedgwickmuseum.org/wenloc...t/wenlock.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/cont...ock_edge.shtml
http://palaeontology.palass-pubs.org...%20297-302.pdf

Lea Quarry has been disused for little over 3 years now, but in its' prime worked the local land for varying formations of Limestone. The Wenlock limestone occurs either as a series of thin limestones within shales or as thick massive beds; it is sometimes hard and crystalline and sometimes soft, earthy or concretionary.

Bardon Aggregates took over the site and excavated the stone for commercial purposes, but also worked with local geologists in studying the land and collecting stone and fossil samples.

Since closure the site looks to have been relatively left alone. The silos and storage sheds have become roosting sites for various wildlife, and the area a common ground for hikers and dog walkers.
Wenlock Edge is a 16 mile escarpment that started life as a coral reef south of the equator millions of years ago.Today it is probably one of Britains best fossil-rich natural featues and is in the hands of the National Trust. It is formed from a thick band of limestone on which sits extensive woodland which acts as a haven for an abundance of local wildlife.
The limestone was used for many local buildings, such as Wenlock Priory.
There have been many quarries in this area, some now ancient and overgrown, some still working.

Now that Lea Quarry has finished its working life (approximately 3 years ago), the plan, apparently, is to allow it to return to nature and become parkland for the use of walkers and fossil hunters.

Bardon Aggregates worked the quarry and had a good working relationship with local geologists in studying the stone and fossils. Evidence of this could be found in the reception building.

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry14.jpg

And some open samples that are a little wet on a desk.

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry11.jpg
The main reception if full of lots of random stuff.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry34.jpg

The rocks were dropped into the primary crusher via this hatch. Its hard to tell the size here for scale, but each link is 45cm long.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry118.jpg

Got to climb when you can!
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry108.jpg

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry47.jpg

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry49.jpg

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry60.jpg

Stuff to press.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry67.jpg

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarry68.jpg

The “played with” shot to finish.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/urberphotos/Lea%20Quarry/26-2-11LeaQuarryedit.jpg

Thanks for looking.

judderman62
10-04-2011, 07:25 PM
did you go down to the stunningly beautifully coloured "lake" ? I loved mooching round this place - one of my fave explores