Marford Quarry
Protected quarry in Clwyd, Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marford Quarry is a quarry and a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the preserved county of Clwyd, north Wales. It is managed by the North Wales Wildlife Trust.[1]
History and ecology
Marford Quarry was first opened in 1927 to extract sand and gravel deposits. These deposits were formed during the last Ice Age, when glacial meltwaters created a large delta terrace in the area.[2] The material quarried was used in some major regional construction projects, including the Mersey Tunnel.[3] Quarrying operations, managed by Tarmac Ltd, continued until 1971. When quarrying stopped, the site underwent replanting with more than 28,000 Corsican pine trees to stabilise the ground.[4] The excavation destroyed the remains of Rofft Mount - a medieval motte-and-bailey castle once located on the site. In 1990, the North Wales Wildlife Trust acquired part of the quarry for conservation. It was later designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rich invertebrate fauna.[5] Surveys have recorded over 140 species of bees, wasps, and ants, including the first Welsh record of the solitary wasp Crossocerus distinguendus.[5] Species of butterfly and moth present there include the dingy skipper and white-letter hairstreak: a small colony of the silver-studded blue, introduced from Prees Heath, Shropshire, in the 1970s, may now have died out.[6]
