Chilmark Quarries
| Chilmark Quarries | |
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Country | England |
|---|---|
| Region | South West |
| Ceremonial county | Wiltshire |
| Location | Chilmark |
| - coordinates | 51°4′48″N 2°2′11″W / 51.08000°N 2.03639°WCoordinates: 51°4′48″N 2°2′11″W / 51.08000°N 2.03639°W |
| Area | 9.65 ha (23.85 acres) |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Animal | Bats |
| Notification | 1977 |
| Management | Natural England |
| Area of Search | Wiltshire |
| Interest | Biological and Geological |
 Location of Chilmark Quarries in the UK
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| Website: SAC at MAgiC | |
Chilmark Quarries (grid reference ST974312) is a 9.65 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), in the ravine south of the village of Chilmark in Wiltshire, England.
The SSSI was first notified in 1977. Its importance as a home for bats led to the site being designated in 2005 (together with Fonthill Grottoes) as a European Special Area of Conservation.
The western section of the site is in Chilmark civil parish, while the eastern section (separated by a minor road) is in Teffont parish.
Chilmark stone, a form of limestone, was mined here since medieval times and used for buildings including Salisbury Cathedral. In 1936 the quarry and mines were bought by the Air Ministry and used as a storage area for RAF Chilmark, a munitions depot, until 1995. Stone extraction continued on a small scale until the quarry closed c. 2007. Similar stone is still mined at Chicksgrove Quarry, 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to the southwest.
Within the disused quarries on the western side of the valley, there is a system of caves in which up to 150 bats, of several species, roost in winter. The largest British wintering roost of Bechstein's Bat is here. Other species which utilise the site include Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bats, Daubenton's Bat, Natterer's Bat and Brandt's Bat.
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