The County has many disused quarries which may yield potential sources of stone, subject to landowner (and possibly planning) permission. During medieval times almost every settlement had a small quarry to supply local needs, for building the church, manor house and more important vernacular buildings, and sometimes a delf for producing stone slates. The majority were unrecorded and are now degraded to the extent that they may be unrecognisable. Subsequent changes in land ownership and usage may well render such sources inaccessible.

Click here for a map giving an indication of the general distribution of disused quarries within Shropshire, marked with red dots.

The recording of disused quarries does not imply accessibility or suitability. It should be realised that any disused quarry might have been used for landfill and may have been backfilled entirely. Old quarry faces are rarely maintained and may be in a dangerous state of instability. Furthermore, quarries are often poorly drained and the floors may be very boggy; lakes may be very deep and cold. Do not trespass.

It is strongly recommended that the owner's permission be sought before visiting any potential quarry and the feasibility and quality of available stone assessed, to ensure compatibility with existing material and assurance that sufficient new material can be supplied within the timescale of the project. There can be considerable variation within a single quarry, depending on the bed(s) that can be worked.

The identification of historic quarries must not be construed as a presumption in support of future working. Circumstances change over time and many of the best historical sources of supply are now in sensitive or statutorily protected areas (e.g. SSSI's) where it may be difficult to obtain planning permission.

A lot of these sites have become re-vegetated and may contain features of ecological value. Furthermore, many old quarry sites and particularly the smaller ones may now no longer be clearly recognisable as quarries due to erosion, vegetation, and sometimes infilling.

It should be realised that Landowners may be sensitive to old quarry sites being considered as potential sources of supply, and may not welcome enquiries for access, inspection or potential for reworking.

Some sites are of particular geological interest regionally (RIGS) and formally recorded by the County planning authority. More detail is available on LocalView, displayed in map form. If you know the name of the site, or a keyword that can be searched for, then many of Shropshire's RIGS, LIGS and SSSIs can be retrieved from this table.

You may also wish to consider the use of recycled stone, recovered from demolished buildings in the vicinity.

Due to potential issues regarding accessibility or suitability, a comprehensive table of recorded disused quarries cannot be presented here. The map provides a general indication of distribution, and individual records are held on the County Sites and Monuments Register.

Below is a selection of the more important historical quarries (most of which are of particular geological interest regionally (RIGS) and formally recorded by the County planning authority).

Please send any suggestions for additions, or amendments to entries, by email. Click here for the addresses.