Suttle Stone Quarries have been quarrying out of Swanworth Quarry for the last 14 years. At capacity Swanworth was supplying approximately 50% of Dorset’s required crushed limestone to the area, the quarry ran out of stone at the end of 2024 having run on limited reserves since 2022. In December 2022 they gained planning permission from Dorset Council for an extension to the quarry which was implemented in late 2024.
A core principle of the extension proposal was to minimise the impact of the quarry on the local environment; part of this involved minimising the impact of accessing the extension site, separated from the existing quarry by a small valley with a stream and bridleway. This was to be achieved by installing a 21.4m span bridge to allow HGV access to the new quarry site, enabling the extracted stone from the extension area to be brought back into the existing quarry to be processed with minimal impact on the environment. This extension to the quarry will produce 2.4 million tonnes of Dorset Limestone which will be used in a variety of different sectors; sub-base for highways and construction schemes, rock armour for sea defences, gabion stone and decorative chippings for house builders and domestic customers.
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