Perryfield Quarry

Perryfield Quarry is an active stone quarry and part butterfly nature reserve located on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is situated towards the middle of the island, east of the village of Weston and south of the hamlet of Wakeham. The reserve section is now a valued home for a number of butterfly species, while the working quarry area is one of the largest active quarries on Portland. The quarry is owned by Portland Stone Firms Ltd, along with Broadcroft and Coombefield Quarries. The firm is the largest landholder on the island.

King Barrow Quarry, located close to the area of New Ground, in the north-east corner area of Tophill, is also another Portland nature reserve. Broadcroft Quarry is also a part butterfly reserve.

Perryfield Quarry was first quarried during the 1890s. Planning consent for modern day quarrying on Portland was granted in 1951, covering 324 hectares of the island. Portland Stone Firms Ltd received and still holds the planning consent for Coombefield, Perryfield and Broadcroft. There are substantial reserves of dimension Portland stone within the quarry which will last beyond the current planning consent, ending in 2042.

As an open cast quarry, this method of quarrying provides quicker extraction of raw block dimension stone whilst maintaining its integrity. Today Perryfield Quarry is at present Portland Stone Firms' main production site. It is being worked in a westerly direction. During its operational history the quarry did cease activity for a while, but was re-opened due to the demand for the particular stone at its site.

The quarry is noted for its excellent stone quality and bed heights. It is largely quarried for Perryfield Basebed, Roach, Shelly and Whitbed stone. The Whitbed stone is a popular buff white stone, containing shell fragments. It is known to be a durable building stone and has been used extensively in the United Kingdom, including in the restoration of Westminster Abbey in 1993, as well as in the building of Waterloo Bridge, completed in 1945. In 2012 the masons of Portland Stone Firms Ltd used large, specially selected blocks of stone from the quarry to carve classical panels and lintels for the Farringdon Street façade of the large new 'Sixty London' development at Holborn Viaduct.

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