Our little village is on the south end of Weston Bay, Weston-super-Mare being in the middle and northern bit. We are separated from the town by the golf course, Uphill Woods, the playing fields of a school, the fields around Uphill castle, the hospital and its grounds and a major road, the A370.
Over a hundred years ago, our village would have been tiny, a collection of small cottages, two pubs, a few shops, farms, the coastguard cottages, and a few fisherman’s homes. There was a little quarry here so there would have been the occasional explosion as they blasted the rocks, the rumble and noise of a very small industry. there was a wharf and ships, mostly cross-channel cargo ships, would have anchored and unloaded and reloaded… We would have been separated from the small town of Weston by fields, meadows and pastures.
But from the far side of the town, from the hillside of Worlebury, there would have come might and thunderous explosions, as the big main town quarry gave up its limestone to be used in the building of the posh new villas of the expanding town. it was a dangerous place in those days, where money and profit came above the safety of the labourers who worked there.
The quarry went out of use in the 1950’s; it was acquired by the council in the 1980’s and is now a peaceful haven of wildlife, including peregrine falcons who nest on the cliffs occasionally.
Some of the old buildings have been converted into artists’ studios and there is an exhibition hall and a lovely tea room. There are small gardens outside near a seating area so you can take you tea and cakes outside to enjoy the tranquillity
There are remnants of the old workings still visible, but somehow these places, these old buildings, which must have been a horrific working environment, and incredibly noisy, are now charming old relics.
The old buildings in the middle of the quarry do sometimes echo with the sound of industry; a blacksmith has his forge, but he is not shoeing horses or making machinery for industry, he is creating wrought iron gates, tables, fences, art work and ornamental metalwork.
To find out much more, follow these links:
http://wsmfhs.org.uk/journals/quarrymen-town-quarry-weston-super-mare
http://www.oldtownquarry.co.uk/id1.html
Lois Elsden 