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Bubbenhall Quarry
Description
48Ha Sand and gravel quarry virtually now exhausted, extracting Baginton formation gravel deposits to a depth of up to 8m, comprising top sand and lower sand/gravel, beneath variable depths of often clayey overburden, and overlying the Mercia mudstone bedrock. Glebe Farm was formerly under arable cultivation and generally comprised “best and most versatile” (BMV) grade 2 and 3a land.
Current approved restoration design of Glebe Farm is based on backfilling with inert waste back to original ground levels with careful soil handling and replacement methodology to achieve productive agricultural afteruse. Previously worked and restored land further east at Wood Farm and ancient semi-natural Bubbenhall Wood, were sold to Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) in January 2016 and which is now part of their suite of nature reserves.
Habitat, flora & fauna description
Despite the majority of backfilled areas now having achieved final levels, considerable areas are still occupied by temporary soil stockpiles and remnant sand stockpiles yet to be sold. The fully restored areas are farmed as productive grass/clover leys and cut for hay and silage, occasionally grazed by sheep and cattle. The perimeter of Glebe Farm has middle-aged (30 years+) linear screen plantations planted prior to extraction, which have been managed by selective thinning to improve their structure and habitat value.
The final reclamation design currently includes 2Ha of field corner copses and a 2km network of native hedgerow planting replacing the original pre-quarrying field boundaries. While the final design incorporates a small number of ponds as part of the agricultural drainage network, the former silt lagoon complex has offered temporary wetland habitats pending capping off and infilling as per approved scheme, through further wetland pond retention/creation opportunities are being explored, given the recent records of water vole nearby.
Ongoing nature projects
The site sits within the core area of the Dunsmore Living Landscape heritage lottery-funded project (formerly Princethorpe Woodlands project) managed by WWT, and offers great opportunities to further improve the extent of habitat linkage between blocks of ancient woodland.
Previously quarried land further east is now run by Warwickshire CC as Ryton Pools Country Park, with Butterfly Conservation and WWT nature reserves all well connected immediately adjacent. The close working relationship developed between Smiths Concrete/Heidelberg Materials and WWT has led to great partnership working at the nearby Wolston Fields Farm quarry where restored wetland areas are now handed over to WWT on completion under a long lease from the landowner.
