Monument record MWX4019 - Post medieval limestone quarries at Winspit, Worth Matravers
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Summary
Quarries at Winspit, marked on the first edition OS map and visible as earthworks on lidar.
Map
Type and Period (3)
Full Description
Quarries at Winspit, marked on the first edition OS map. <1>
A large cliff-side quarry on both sides of the valley below Worth Matravers formerly working the Portland Freestone. The quarry was working by 1719 and abandoned in 1953. The earliest workings are represented by the open quarry and later workings by an extensive complex of underground galleries. The latter are entered by a number of entries, many of which have narrow pillars of unworked stone or stacked stone blocks to support the gallery roofs. Some building ruins remain, one of which may be the site office. Stone was shipped by sea, and two rut-ways lead to the ledge below the quarries, where boats were moored at low tide. Square-cut holes which suported cranes are visible on the east side of the cliff-top. The galleries are now home to the protected Greater Horseshoe bat. <2>
The quarries are visible as earthworks on lidar <3-4>. The features were digitally plotted during the South West Coastal Zone Survey (Dorset).
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDO10239 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1864, 1886. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one. paper. 1:2500.
- <2> SDO18060 Monograph: Lancashire Archaeological Unit. 2000. Monument Protection Programme Quarrying Industry Step 3.2 Additional Site Assessments. Dorset 15.
- <3> SDO12878 Photograph: Channel Coastal Observatory. 23-MAR-2008. Lidar.
- <4> SDO12879 Aerial Photograph: Channel Coastal Observatory. 25-FEB-2009. Lidar.
- <5> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 1466616.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SY 97752 76087 (321m by 256m) (4 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SY97NE |
| Civil Parish | Worth Matravers; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 6 028 096
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: SY 97 NE 163
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 1466616
Record last edited
Dec 7 2022 4:00PM
