Grundon’s Frith End Quarry in Hampshire has been voted a winner in the Quarry Products Association (QPA) Restoration Awards for outstanding achievement in quarry restoration.
Rabbitfield Hill, located within Frith End quarry, is a four and a half hectare site which was worked for washed sharp sand and screened sand between 1998 and 2003. The site has been restored to a mix of woodland, agriculture and heathland.
In making the award, the QPA drew attention to the specific steps taken to encourage the breeding of sand martins and newts.
For sand martins, a cliff has been established in an ideal north-facing position, as the birds prefer to nest in the shade. No external materials were imported into the site and the landform was created using soils removed prior to extraction.
A small ephemeral pond at the northern end of the site has been created as a habitat for newts. However, aquatic planting has taken place around the shallow margins of the pond and these also provide a rich habitat for a number of other species.
A diverse range of trees and grasses has also been planted. Several of the new habitats created fit closely with Hampshire County Council’s Corporate Biodiversity Action Plan.
According to the QPA: “Despite being a relatively small site, Rabbitfield Hill has been restored to merge well with the surrounding land and has made a significant contribution to enhancing biodiversity in the local area”.
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