Located in Winterbourne Down, Huckford Quarry is a relic of the industrial past where they mined the area to build the overhead viaduct.
The quarry was used at the beginning of the 20th century to provide stone for the Wotton Bassett to Patchway railway line and many buildings in the area until the early 1940s when the quarry was closed.
Nature has taken the site that was untouched for 65 years, creating stunning views. The quarry is the ideal space for ferns, mosses and lichens to grow since it is deep, damp and dark throughout much of the year. Various species of fern can be spotted among old quarry boulders and the shaded woodland banks, as well as, native woodland flowers, including stitchwort, bluebells, violets, foxgloves, yellow archangel and wood anemones in the woodland area along the River Frome.
In 1993, the Huckford Quarry was designated as a Local Nature Reserve. It's owned by South Gloucestershire Council and managed in partnership with the Winterbourne Countryside Group.
Here are 22 photos from our visit to Huckford Quarry:
1. Huckford Quarry Entrance
If travelling from the centre, the Y1 and Y2 South Glos Lynx leave visitors about a 19-minute walk from this entrance and the M3 Metrobus about a 29-minute walk away.
2. Information Board
The information board by the entrance to the quarry includes a map and some insights into the fauna of the area.
3. Huckford Viaduct
Visitors can spot the occasional train passing through the Huckford Viaduct from Huckford Quarry. The viaduct was constructed in 1902 by the Great Western Railway as part of the Wootton Bassett to Patchway railway line and currently forms part of the Badminton line from Bristol Parkway to London Paddington.
4. Fern
The quarry is the ideal space for ferns, mosses and lichens to grow since it is deep, damp and dark throughout much of the year. Various species of fern can be spotted among old quarry boulders and the shaded woodland banks.