Batts Combe quarry

Batts Combe quarry, gbmapping|ST460550 is a limestone quarry on the edge of Cheddar village on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England.

It has been operating since the early 20th century and is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which is supplied to an on-site lime kiln, the remainder is sold as coated or dusted aggregates.

The limestone at this site is close to 99% carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite). [cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott |isbn= 0715372971 ]

Boxes were placed in Hanson woodland adjoining the company's Batts Combe quarry to encourage Dormice to breed, and monitored with the help of pupils from Wells Cathedral School.

A lime-burning kiln the site was closed for a while in 2006, after testing showed quicklime dust was escaping into the atmosphere. The kiln, which produces 200,000 tonnes of quicklime a year for use in the steel industry, requires £300,000 of investment to resolve the problems. The closure follows an earlier warning from the Environment Agency when the company was notified that it should tighten up procedures at the site. Quicklime dust is a health hazard: in large quantities it can cause skin irritation and damage to the eyes and throat. [cite web |url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/industry/previous/aprmay06.html#QUAR |title=Quarry kiln closed over dust fears |accessdate=2007-02-11 |format= |work=Minerals UK ]

There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the site. [cite web |url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/media/896B4/MendipAONB.pdf |title=Mendip Hills: An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |accessdate=2007-02-11 |format= |work=Somerset County Council ]

See also

* Quarries of the Mendip Hills

References

External links

* [http://www.mindat.org/loc-4889.html Data for this mine at mindat.org]