Mineral collecting at Whatley Quarry
Whatley Quarry is one of the largest quarries in the Mendip area. Although quarrying has been undertaken for many years, the area has historically been mined for lead, whose main ore is galena which has been found at Whatley Quarry but a wide range of other minerals have also been found in the rocks quarried.
The Russell Society has been welcome to collect minerals at Whatley Quarry for many years with the agreement of the quarry management team. A full risk assessment is undertaken to ensure that all visits comply with the health and safety requirements.
Collecting is only allowed when the quarry is not working, often when maintenance is underway and always with a representative of the management team.
Over the years a wide range of minerals have been collected from the limestones worked. The most common mineral is calcite, of note is the 2016 visit when an interesting range of calcite crystal forms were found.
Other interesting minerals include:
- Quartz and goethite – associated with iron rich concentrations.
- Galena – often found associated with calcite.
- Fluorite and dolomite – in cavities in the Black Rock Limestone.
For more information about the Russell Society please look at the web-site at http://russellsoc.org
The Russell Society encourages the responsible collection and preservation of minerals in the UK. There are six branches across the UK that organise both field trips and a range of meetings to cater for its members.
The trips to Whatley Quarry are organised by the Southern Branch. If you are interested in joining the society to attend field trips or meeting please get in touch via the web-site. New members are always welcome.
