Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns

Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns is a 27-hectare (67-acre) nature reserve north of Betchworth in Surrey. Betchworth Quarry only is managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust.[1] It is part of the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest[2] and Special Area of Conservation.[3]

Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns
TypeNature reserve
LocationBetchworth, Surrey
OS gridTQ198511
Area27 hectares (67 acres)
Managed bySurrey Wildlife Trust

This chalk downlands site is part of the North Downs and the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has a rich variety of flowering plants, including orchids. The lime kilns house a variety of bat species, such as the whiskered, Natterer's, brown long-eared, Brandt's and Daubenton's.[1]

History

Chalk has been quarried on a small scale in the area around Dorking since at least the 1600s. In 1865 the Dorking Greystone Lime Company was incorporated to open a large quarry at Betchworth. A standard gauge siding was laid from Betchworth railway station to the lime kilns built at the foot of the North Downs escarpment. [4][5]

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References
  1. "Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns". Surrey Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  2. "Designated Sites View: Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  3. "Designated Sites View: Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment". Special Areas of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. Lime, Harry (July 2001). "The Dorking Greystone Lime Company and its railway - a tale of four gauges". Railway Bylines. pp. 350–354.
  5. Travis, Anthony S. (2004). "The Locomotives at Betchworth Lime Works in Southern England". The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology. 30 (2): 25–39. JSTOR 40968664.

51.259°N 0.260°W / 51.259; -0.260

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