Longcliffe Quarry

Overview

Also known as Charnwood Quarry, this Shepshed diorite working is the geological type section of the North Charnwood Diorite, part of Charnwood Forest's centuries-old hard-rock quarrying industry.

History

Longcliffe Quarry at Shepshed, in the north of Charnwood Forest, was worked in the diorite intrusions that make up the North Charnwood Diorite -- of which this quarry is the geological type section -- and also exposes outcrops of the older Blackbrook Reservoir Formation. Charnwood Forest's quarrying industry as a whole grew from a scatter of small workings in the 18th century into a major supplier of roadstone and railway ballast once the Leicester and Swannington Railway opened in 1832 gave the hard 'Charnwood granite' a cheap route to market; by 1890 the district's quarries were Britain's leading source of aggregate, and by 1900 output exceeded a million tonnes a year. Longcliffe Quarry is recognised today for its geological rather than industrial significance -- listed among Charnwood Forest Geopark's '100 Treasures' as the reference exposure for the North Charnwood Diorite.

Workings

Worked in diorite, exposing the type section of the North Charnwood Diorite alongside outcrops of the older Blackbrook Reservoir Formation.

What remains

Retained today chiefly for its geological importance as a type locality, listed among Charnwood Forest Geopark's '100 Treasures'.

Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Longcliffe Quarry is the geological type section of the North Charnwood Diorite, and also exposes outcrops of the Blackbrook Reservoir Formation. ^1,2
• The opening of the Leicester and Swannington Railway in 1832 gave Charnwood Forest's hard-rock quarries a cheap route to market; by 1890 the district supplied most of Britain's aggregate, and output exceeded a million tonnes a year by 1900. ²

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.

Sources

1. (secondary) Longcliffe Quarry, Shepshed, Charnwood, Leicestershire — Mindat
2. (secondary) Charnwood Forest in 100 Treasures — Charnwood Forest Geopark

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026