Directory of Mines and Quarries 2020 British Geological Survey Directory of Mines and Quarries, 2020 Eleventh Edition Compiled by D G Cameron, E J Evans, N Idoine, J Mankelow, S F Parry, M A G Patton and A Hill With contributions by T C Pharaoh and J Ford Keywords Mines, Quarries, Minerals, Britain, Database, Wharfs, Rail Depots, Oilwells, Gaswells. Front cover Bonawe Quarry, Loch Etive, nr Oban, Argyllshire. Breedon Northern. © Breedon Northern ISBN 978-0-85272-789-8 Bibliographical references Cameron, D G, Evans, E J, Idoine, N, Mankelow, J, Parry, S F, Patton, M A G, and A Hill. 2020. Directory of Mines and Quarries, 2020: 11th Edition. (Keyworth, Nottingham, British Geological Survey). OR/20/036. © UKRI 2020 Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey 2020 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY British Geological Survey offices The full range of Survey publications is available from the BGS Sales Desks at Nottingham, Edinburgh and London; see contact details Environmental Science Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham below or shop online at www.geologyshop.com. The London Office NG12 5GG also maintains a reference collection of BGS publications including 0115 936 3100 maps for consultation. The Survey publishes an annual catalogue of its maps and other publications; this catalogue is available from any of the BGS Central Enquiries Desk BGS Sales Desks. 0115 936 3143 email [email protected] The British Geological Survey carries out the geological survey of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter is an agency service BGS Sales for the government of Northern Ireland), and of the surrounding 0115 936 3241 continental shelf, as well as its basic research projects. 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Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD 020 7589 4090 020 7589 4090 email [email protected] Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT 029 2167 4280 Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB 01491 838800 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Department for the Economy, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Ballymiscaw, Belfast, BT4 3SB 028 903 88462 www.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/ Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1EU 01793 411500 UK Research and Innovation, Polaris House, Swindon SN2 1FL 01793 444000 www.ukri.org Contents Introduction i Figures 1 An extract from Hunt’s Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for the year 1858, i Part II Embracing Clays, bricks &c., Building and Other Stones With Sundry Earth Minerals 2 Current distribution of BRITPITS database records vi 3 Igneous & Metamorphic Rock resources and workings in the UK in 2020 vii 4 Limestone resources and workings in the UK in 2020 viii 5 Sand & Gravel resources and workings in the UK in 2020 ix 6 Marine Sand & Gravel resources, with wharfs and rail depots in the UK in 2020 x 7 Sandstone resources and workings in the UK in 2020 xi 8 Coal resources and workings in the UK in 2020 xii 9 Oil and gas resources and workings in the UK in 2020 xiii 10 Explanation of the layout of information in the DMQ, Part 1 xxiv 11 Generalised age table for superficial deposits xxiv Tables 1 Production and value of the major sectors of the minerals industry in the UK, 2015–2018 (thousand tonnes) ii 2 United Kingdom production of minerals 2012–2018 (thousand tonnes) xiv 3 Minerals produced in the Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey 2014–2018 (thousand tonnes) xv 4 Active mineral workings by commodity in the UK, including Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, xvi as at February 2020. Note that more than one commodity may be produced at a single site 5 Mineral Planning Authorities and Regions xvii 6 Trade associations, professional institutions and other minerals-related organisations xx Part 1 Directory of Mines and Quarries (DMQ) 2020 1-1 Abandoned Mine Methane 1-2 Anhydrite 1-3 Ball Clay 1-3 Barytes 1-4 Basalt (Northern Ireland) 1-4 Blast Furnace Slag 1-5 Chalk 1-5 China Clay 1-8 China Clay Waste 1-9 Clay & Shale 1-10 Coal 1-17 Coal, Deep 1-17 Coal Mine Methane 1-17 Coal, Surface Mined 1-17 Coalbed Methane 1-18 Colliery Spoil 1-18 Crushed Rock 1-18 Desulphogypsum 1-24 Dolomite 1-24 Fireclay 1-24 Flint 1-25 Fluorspar 1-25 Furnace Bottom Ash 1-26 Gold 1-26 Gritstone (Northern Ireland) 1-26 Gypsum 1-28 Igneous & Metamorphic Rock 1-28 Incinerator Bottom Ash 1-39 Ironstone 1-39 Lead 1-40 Limestone 1-40 Marble 1-56 Marine Sand & Gravel 1-56 Mineral 1-61 Natural Gas 1-61 Ochre (Iron Ore) 1-62 Oil 1-62 Peat 1-67 Polyhalite 1-70 Potash 1-70 Pulverised Fuel Ash 1-70 Quarry Waste 1-71 Salt 1-71 Sand 1-71 Sand & Gravel 1-77 Sandstone 1-102 Schist (Northern Ireland) 1-114 Sea Salt 1-115 Secondary 1-115 Serpentine 1-120 Shale 1-121 Silica Sand 1-121 Silver 1-123 Slate 1-123 Slate Waste 1-125 Talc 1-126 Tin 1-126 Part 2 2-1 List of mineral operators by Minerals Planning Authority (MPA) Part 3 3-1 Alphabetical list of operators INTRODUCTION Sources of Information This edition of the Directory of Mines and Quarries, in addition to being published in hard copy format, is available as a download from the MineralsUK.com website of the British Geological Survey (BGS). The data on which the Directory is based are held digitally in the BGS mineral workings database BRITPITS, and a digital licence for its use can be obtained from the BGS; see https://www.bgs. ac.uk/mineralsuk/mines/dmq.html and https://www.bgs.ac.uk/products/minerals/BRITPITS.html The production of this edition has been primarily assisted by the mineral operators to whom we give thanks for their assistance in the compilation of the data. Figure 1 An extract from Hunt’s Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for the year 1858, Part II Embracing Clays, bricks &c., Building and Other Stones With Sundry Earth Minerals. Information given The current edition of the Directory follows in a line of mineral statistical records starting in 1858 (Figure 1) although the production and costings are no longer collected, the basic data remains the same. This is derived from a database (BRITPITS) which contains over 2000 entries pertaining to active mineral workings and a much larger number for inactive and former workings, totalling over 246 000 entries. Each entry in the Directory describes an individual onshore mineral working in terms of its name, geographic location, Mineral Planning Authority (MPA), operator, basic geology, mineral commodity produced and, where known, the end-use of that mineral. In addition, there is a list of mineral workings by MPA, and an alphabetically arranged list of company addresses. These include rail depots for handling bulk minerals and wharves for landing of marine-dredged sand & gravel and crushed rock aggregates; the source of these minerals is indicated where this is known. Although information from MPAs and industry sources on operational status was correct at the time of entering to the database, workings may subsequently have ceased operations, and additionally there may be new sites started in 2020, which are not reported. The underlying digital BRITPITS database (an abbreviation of British Pits, and the word ‘pits’ is used here to include both surface quarries and underground mines) was assembled mainly from the records of BGS, MPAs, the minerals industry and various central government departments and agencies. These data are available in digital form under licence. Originally, only details of currently active and temporarily inactive sites were included in the database, but owing to the importance of former workings for waste disposal, amenity and nature conservation (Sites of Special Scientific Interest etc.), information is now collected on former operations. While the compilers have tried to ensure that the Directory is as accurate and up-to-date as possible, any derived list of active mines and quarries is a snapshot in time and is inevitably out-of-date as soon as it is produced. Changes in ownership, shifting of the extraction location as reserves become exhausted or a new extension commences production, and the renaming of sites are regular occurrences, and all of these cause problems when attempting to maintain a definitive database. It is perhaps inevitable in a work of this kind that there will be some omissions and inaccuracies. The Directory includes sites which are worked only on an intermittent basis and some of which may be currently inactive, but which still have valid planning consents. Estate quarries and other operations that do not offer material for sale have in most cases been excluded, although these operations must still have planning permission for mineral extraction. The compilers would be pleased to hear from any operators who feel they have been inaccurately represented so that the erroneous details can be corrected in the BRITPITS database and thus in future editions of the Directory. i Table 1 Production and value of the major sectors of the minerals industry in the UK, 2015–2018 (thousand tonnnes). Production (sales) Value (thousand tonnes) (£million) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2015 2016 2017 2018 Oil and natural gas liquids 45,288 47,444 45,636 50,432 12,985 12,385 15,545 21,285 Natural gas (oil equivalent) 38,847 39,876 40,016 38,711 7,035 5,315 6,260 6,900 Coal 8,598 4,178 3,041 2,581 419 227 225 198 Aggregates 185,844 193,376 193,288 197,917 1,944 2,219 2,257 2,241 Other construction minerals 10,934 11,325 12,154 11,689 111 112 128 131 Industrial minerals 7,300 7,100 7,300 7,200 595 514 519 509 Metalliferous minerals 0 1 2 2 5 25 35 32 Total 296,831 303,296 301,442 308,573 23,094 20,797 24,969 31,476 Including offshore production.