Our History

The earliest record of the Quarry is an 1884 OS map showing a small area near the current site entrance labelled Quarry. There is no record of the Quarry's name then, but for a brief period, the site took its name from the adjacent highway called 'Broad Road'. Locals always preferred and referred to the site as 'Westbury Quarry,' a name still used today.
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Initially opened in the 1930s for quarrying limestone, local customers hauled stone away from the site by horse and cart. During World War II, the authorities employed Italian prisoners-of-war from the 'Penleigh Prison Camp' at Wells as quarrymen.
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A family lived in the rear of the existing Gatehouse Buildings, while quarry business was conducted at the front.

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Although the early workings of the Westbury Quarry site started before the Second World War—some records claim that it was as early as 1936-1937—no significant extraction occurred. It was not until 'William Griffiths & Co Ltd.' announced the opening of Westbury Quarries, Westbury-sub-Mendip, in a full-page advert in the 'Wells Journal' on Friday, 17 March 1967.
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Much acclaim was given to the 'new quarrying equipment'. At the time, the plant cost £120,000, but, including the purchase of the land, the overall cost was nearer £250,000. This new equipment significantly boosted the Quarry's production. Initial production was 200 tons of good quality carboniferous limestone a day, but it was expected to reach 1000 tons within a few months of the new equipment entering service.
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Hanson Aggregates Plc acquired the site on 5 May 2000 and remained its owner until it ceased quarrying operations on 27 October 2003. The site remained dormant for some years until December 2006, when it was sold to its present owner.