About the quarry
Needingworth Quarry in Cambridgeshire is one of the largest sand and gravel extraction sites in the UK. It covers an area of approximately 975 hectares and lies three miles east of St Ives, adjacent to the Great Ouse river.
Extraction began in 1995 and will span more than 30 years, during which time 28 million tonnes of sand and gravel will be removed. The restoration will be phased to create Britain’s biggest reedbed (460 hectares), along with open meres, wet scrub and grassland, within a 700 hectare nature reserve. The quarry employs 9 people directly and supports a number of others including contractors and drivers.