Monument record MWX4390 - Coombefield Quarries, Portland
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Summary
Coombefield Quarries, marked on the second edition OS map. It was already extensive by 1901 when there was a tramway with two main branches, leaving the quarries towards the SSE to cross Southwell Road, and then branching onto two waste tips above Freshwater Bay. By 1926, both Suckthumb and Coombefield Quarries had joined and the tramway was no longer in use. Extensively worked in two parts from the 1980/90s, with stone-crushing plant in the east part. Between is an area of old tips through which passes a public footpath. The main work in 2007 was to the east where new ground had been opened up in fields close to Southwell Road. The quarries are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s and 1960s.
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
Coombefield Quarries, marked on the second edition OS map. (1)
There was no quarrying here in 1863, but Coombefield Quarry was already extensive by 1901 when there was a tramway with two main branches, leaving the quarries towards the SSE to cross Southwell Road, and then branching onto two waste tips above Freshwater Bay. (2-3) By 1926, both Suckthumb and Coombefield Quarries had joined and the tramway was no longer in use. (4-6). Extensively worked in two parts from the 1980/90s, with stone-crushing plant in the east part. Between is an area of old tips through which passes a public footpath. The main work in 2007 was to the east where new ground had been opened up in fields close to Southwell Road. (7-8)
Coomefield Quarries were mapped plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset) to the extent shown on aerial photographs of the 1940s and 1960s, as part of the record for Suckthumb Quarry (see MWX4403 for more details).
Sources/Archives (7)
- <2> SDO10268 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1901. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.15.
- <3> SDO10281 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1901. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LX.3.
- <4> SDO10269 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1929. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LVIII.15.
- <5> SDO10282 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1929. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, sheet LX.3.
- <6> SWX2152 Monograph: Hudson, K. 1984. Industrial History from the Air. plate 10 CUC aerial photo June 1948.
- <7> SDO10260 Unpublished document: AC Archaeology. 2002. The Isle of Portland Review of Mineral Planning Permissions Stage 1: archaeological baseline study for Hanson Bath & Portland Stone, document no. 4299/1/4..
- <8> SDO10278 Verbal communication: Stanier, P. 2007. Field observation. May 2007.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SY 6912 7057 (662m by 693m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SY67SE |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 4 001 353
Record last edited
Dec 3 2013 2:50PM
