Collyweston Quarries
Location and Access Information
Grid Reference: TF 004 038
This Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust Reserve is located between Easton-on-the-Hill and Collyweston on the A43. Travelling north, pass through Collyweston and pull into the layby on the right-hand side before you enter Easton. Cross the busy road, and follow the track alongside the houses.
View the site map on Nature on the Map
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Geological Interest
This former quarry is located on the outcrop of the Lincolnshire Limestone. The succession of muddy to oolitic limestones that occur here were deposited in shallow, tropical waters during the Middle Jurassic some 170 million years ago. Limestones within part of the sequence have, historically been quarried for use in the roofing industry (Collyweston Slate) due to the ability of the limestone to cleave into relatively thin layers. At this site the limestone was quarried from small, underground mines and some open-cast pits, hence the present ‘hills and holes’ appearance of the site. Over time the spoil heaps have become covered by grassland which has been periodically grazed. More than 200 species of flowering plant have been recorded on the site, many of which are typical of unimproved calcareous grassland, including cowslip, clustered bellflower, wild thyme and five species of orchid.
