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. The quarry was run by ARC (Amey Roadstone Corporation) and later by Hanson Aggregates, whose Midland Quarry Products office sits along the site's northern edge -- though the last record of this dates from around 2011 and who runs the quarry now is not known.

Geology

Diorite of the North Charnwood Diorite intrusions — this quarry is the formation's geological type section.

Workings

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

Closure

Unknown.

What remains

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

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The quarry was run by ARC and later Hanson Aggregates/Midland Quarry Products, per sources no more recent than around 2011; current operatorship is not confirmed. (uncertain) ³

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
• The quarry was run by ARC and later Hanson Aggregates/Midland Quarry Products, per sources no more recent than around 2011; current operatorship is not confirmed. (uncertain) ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Longcliffe Quarry, Shepshed, Charnwood, Leicestershire — Mindat
2. (secondary) Charnwood Forest in 100 Treasures — Charnwood Forest Geopark
3. (secondary) Longcliffe Quarries Ltd — Agg-Net

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026