Old Town Quarry
On 22nd July 2024, Weston super Mare Town Council signed a lease agreement with North Somerset Council which enables the Town Council to progress with its plans to transform the Old Town Quarry into a landmark arts, culture and heritage asset – a dynamic new hub for culture, creative and digital enterprise for Weston.
After a successful funding application, the Town Council has been awarded a grant of almost £700k from the UK government’s Community Ownership Fund, with an additional £200k from Weston Town Council reflecting confidence in its vision for the Quarry’s future. This funding will support the extensive refurbishment required to reopen the site to the public and sustain its legacy for generations to come.
The site has been under the management North Somerset Council until recently, but NSC resolved to grant a lease to Weston Town Council for 35 years for the future management and maintenance of the Old Town Quarry site.
Weston Town Council have worked closely with local community experts and specialists to create an ambitious programme of redevelopment and rejuvenation of the Old Town Quarry.
Exciting Developments Ahead
The Old Town Quarry closed to the public at the end of August 2023. Since then, North Somerset Council, the site owner, has carried out extensive work to make the site safe and ready for renovation. This has included demolishing the condemned quarry stone crushing plant, clearing the site and carrying out necessary work to fell diseased trees.
The renovation will see a flurry of activity, with major building and refurbishment work planned to start early Autumn. Among the highlights is the revamp of both main buildings, which are scheduled to reopen by summer 2025. The Quarry is located in South Road, Weston-super-Mare BS23 2LS
Old Town Quarry 5-10 year Plan Jan 2023
Renovation and Safety Enhancements
Following constructive dialogues with the previous occupants and the local communities, the Town Council is set to initiate a comprehensive programme of renovation and safety improvements. This will focus on the buildings and areas within the new lease boundary of the site, excluding the quarry rock face. This will remain untouched to preserve its natural state and will remain the responsibility of North Somerset Council.
Quarry Project Updates
Weston Town Council announces a successful bid from Community Ownership Fund for the redevelopment of the Old Town Quarry
Weston-super-Mare Town Council are pleased to announced a successful bid [...]
Arts and Culture
As we look to the future, the Quarry will host community-led programmes of events and activities. If you would like to get involved, please contact quarry@wsm-tc.gov.uk
The Quarry has previously been home to many different events including outdoor cinema, Halloween events, comedy and live music.
The video below shows the type of event that the Quarry site has previously hosted:
History
The Old Town Quarry can trace its origins back to village days. As Weston began to emerge into a fashionable resort land holdings were consolidated by the Enclosure Act and many ‘auster or ancient tenements’ were removed but villagers retained the right to take stone for building works.
Many early 19th century roads were surfaced with stone from this quarry and most Victorian houses are built of stone won from this and other quarries along Worlebury Hill. Work was tough and dangerous both for men and cart horses and there were occasional fatalities.
Shot holes were bored six feet into the limestone and then filled with explosive and fuse cable but in 1880 a stone-breaker and steam roller, acquired by the Town Commissioners (the original local council), brought mechanisation to the process but the quarry remained a dangerous place. As housing spread ever closer to the quarry there were reports of over-zealous blasts hurling great lumps of limestone into nearby gardens.
Quarrying ceased in 1953. Successive councils were unsure what to do: boats and building material were stored on part of the quarry floor but the site quickly became an eyesore. A planning suggestion to build a block of flats was rejected when the site was deemed unsuitable for any commercial or residential development.
Weston Civic Society then looked at the possibility of establishing something different in the quarry: a place for recreation, wildlife, environmental protection, workshops and gallery, cafe and even theatre.
This leaflet gives an interesting summary of the history and geology of the Old Town Quarry –Leaflet-Town Quarry
Nature and Environment
Protecting Our Natural Heritage
Understanding the ecological significance of the Quarry, the Town Council has commissioned expert surveys to ensure that the wildlife is protected throughout renovation efforts.
These include:
– An arboriculture impact assessment by local tree experts to preserve wooded areas.
– Assessments by local ecological consultants focusing on bats and breeding birds—including the much-loved Ravens and Peregrine Falcons.
– Structural evaluations by chartered building surveyors to ensure the integrity and safety of the site’s infrastructure.
This work builds upon previous ecological surveys conducted by North Somerset Council, including a bat survey before the recent building demolition work.
Plant life is a mixture of wild species and ‘escapes’ from gardens. Birds include garden and woodland species as well as those that inhabit cliff faces.
We have commissioned these surveys of the site to better understand the ecological habitats, and we have also had peregrine falcon experts visit the site to offer advice.
These surveys have identified certain obligations we have to follow, particularly surrounding the roosting and hibernation patterns of the local wildlife. We will ensure any works are done sensitively and with consideration of the other wildlife that live alongside the falcons.
Sometimes ravens nest on the cliffs which enclose the Quarry. In the grassy area beyond the entrance to the former blacksmith’s site there is a colony of Ringlet butterfly. In addition, Wych elms around the car park are believed to host the White Letter Hairstreak butterfly.
The protection of all wildlife will be a priority to ensure there is no loss of important participants in the ecosystem at the Quarry site.
Quarry Conversations
As Weston super Mare Town Council takes over the lease of the Old Town Quarry site, we have been holding ‘Quarry Conversations’, a series of community engagement sessions where you can share your ideas and aspirations for the Old Town Quarry site.
These events are being held at different times, at different venues and in different formats across Weston to provide a range of opportunities for residents, community groups and organisations to find out more about the project and ways to get involved.
So far, we have held Quarry Conversations on:
Tuesday 18th June – an evening session from 7.00 to 8.30pm at Weston Museum, Burlington Street
Tuesday 16th July – (1) an afternoon session from 2.00 to 3.30pm, and (2) an evening session from 7.00 to 8.30pm at the Town Council office, Waterloo Street
Thursday 15th August – a drop-in session from 11.00am to 2.00pm at the Blakehay Theatre, Wadham Street
Tuesday 24th September – Quarry Opportunities: Next Steps meeting
Next event
TITLE: Quarry Opportunities: Next Steps meeting (Repeat meeting)
DATE: Thursday 17th October
TIME: 2 – 3.30pm
VENUE: Chamber Room, Weston super Mare Town Council, 32 Waterloo Street, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 1LN
We will be holding more Quarry project events soon – check back for further details and sign up to the mailing list to be kept updated! Sign-up using the form on this page.
Get Involved: Quarry Conversations
We are delighted to introduce ‘Quarry Conversations’, a series of community engagement sessions. These sessions will provide an opportunity for residents to voice their ideas and aspirations for the Quarry. We encourage everyone to join our mailing list for updates regularly.