These Case Study pages showcase examples of good practice in minerals restoration which is benefiting the natural environment and people.
Pentney Quarry Extension
Pentney Quarry is located in the Nar Valley, approximately 10km south east of Kings Lynn. The entire quarry covers over 90 ha of land adjacent to the River Nar. The river is over a metre above the surrounding land and is contained within levees.
Paxton Pits Nature Reserve
Gravel was extracted around Little Paxton between the 1940s and the early 1960s, resulting in a series of flooded pits. There were no plans to restore these for nature conservation, but later operators allowed natural regeneration to occur and by 1980 Paxton Pits had developed considerable wildlife interest, in particular for birds.
Needingworth Quarry
Needingworth Quarry is one of the largest sand and gravel extraction sites in the UK. Extraction is expected to span over 30 years, during which time 28 million tonnes of sand and gravel will be removed. It covers an area of approximately 975 ha adjacent to the Great Ouse River.
Middleton Lakes
The Middleton Lakes complex is located approximately 1.5km south west of Tamworth, within the River Tame valley. Principally in Staffordshire, part of the site crosses into the neighbouring county of Warwickshire.
Langford Lowfields
Langford Lowfields is adjacent to the River Trent approximately 5km north of Newark. It is one of four active sand, gravel and sandstone quarries currently operated by Tarmac in Nottinghamshire.
Cassington Quarry
Cassington lies adjacent to the A40 in the Thames Valley approximately 4km north-west of Oxford city centre. The site is an extension to 70 hectares of existing traditional open water restorations that are used for fishing but with no general public access. The site lies within 500 metres of two wet meadow SSSI’s (Cassington Meadows and Pixey & Yarnton Meads).