Earthline open new ironstone site
Company celebrates 30th anniversary with acquisition of Wroxton Fields Quarry from Peter Bennie
WILTSHIRE-based aggregates and earthmoving company Earthline Ltd have just celebrated their 30th anniversary with further expansion into north Oxfordshire, having acquired an old ironstone quarry from Peter Bennie.
The old Wroxton ironstone works was originally established in 1917 and became the second largest site of its kind in the country. At its peak it was producing 2 million tonnes per year and was served by the rail network.
The current Wroxton Fields Quarry, near Banbury, encompasses 68ha of substantial ironstone reserves suitable for construction fills, but with the installation of a new wash plant, Earthline plan to offer an increased range of products, including 10mm, 20mm, 40mm, sharp sand, ballast, and cable/fill sand.
The company also intends to continue to produce W75, W150, 6F5 and 50mm down, as well as commencing recycling operations at the site by the summer of 2021.
In addition to Wroxton, Earthline’s other existing sites at Hatford and Shellingford, also in Oxfordshire, have both received planning permission to extend their operations by 23ha and 30ha respectively.
It is estimated that the combined resources from the company’s sites will equate to approximately 3.65 million tonnes of limestone and building sand, and in due course it is intended that all three will be returned to arable farmland, following permission being granted to conduct inert landfill operations.
