More Information

About the Site

This site is located on the Magnesian Limestone escarpment that runs through eastern County Durham.

Magnesian Limestone supports a natural grassland which is one of Britain’s rarest habitats - a significant proportion of which is found in County Durham. It is home to a rich and distinctive group of plants and insects that are now scarce in the County.

Wingate Quarry is a refuge for many of these limestone-loving plants, including greater knapweed, cowslip, quaking grass, glaucous sedge, salad burnet and fragrant orchid. Greater knapweed has bright purple-red flowers that can be seen from June to August and the cowslip has apricot yellow flowers with orange streaks inside. Quaking grass is so called because its stems have nodding heads which rattle when they move. This grass flowers from May to August. The fragrant orchid’s many small pink flowers seen in June and July have a sweet scent with acidy overtone.

Over the years due to changes in farming methods, these plants have disappeared from the surrounding countryside. Wingate quarry is now important as one of the largest and most varied examples of this unusual habitat type.

Dense hawthorn scrub has developed in parts of the quarry and herb Robert, cross-wort, hedge woundwort and sweet violet have become associated with these areas. Herb Robert has small pink flowers and a strong smell. It is used in homeopathy to prevent internal bleeding and was once used to combat toothache. The deep coloured sweet violet can be seen in March and April.

A number of small ponds occur at the site, which contain a range of wetland plants including common spike-rush, common marsh bedstraw and branched burr-reed. There are also two areas of pasture within the quarry, one of which contains a small area of ash and wych elm woodland.

In more recently disturbed areas, felwort, nodding thistle, eyebright, and wild mignonette grow. The leaves of the eyebright look as if they have been cut with pinking shears, and their flowers are white with purple and orange markings. Populations of common butterwort, with their violet petals with white centre, can be seen in damper parts of the quarry from May to July.

Jackdaws are common here, and nest in holes on the quarry face. Yellow hammer and willow warblers also visit the site.

Several species of newts, frogs and bats can be found here and butterflies, including the dingy skipper are abundant. The dingy skipper has a wing span of 25-28 mm and is a brown colour with blurred white and darker patches. Its underwings are light greyish-orange. The common blue frequents the site. Both butterflies can be seen from late June to July/August.

Wingate Quarry

Location

Wingate Quarry is approximately 12km (7 miles) east of Durham City centre on the A181, and approximately 5km (3 miles) west of Wingate centre.

Grid reference: NZ 373375

Facilities

• Car park
• Benches
• Information board

Please note that there are dangerous cliffs within the Reserve. Keep away from these areas and do not climb safety fences.

The quarry covers an area of approximately 26.5 hectares (65.5 acres).

See Also

Biodiversity Action Plan
Back to Top Ten Sites
Durham Wildlife Sites

Enquiries

Countryside Group
Durham County Council
Environment
County Hall
Durham,
DH1 5UQ
Tel: 0191 3833594