Suttle Stone Quarries open quarry extension
Swanworth Quarry in Dorset to continue operating for a further 25 years following opening of new extension
SUTTLE Stone Quarries have officially opened their quarry extension. Swanworth Quarry – which, at capacity, was supplying approximately 50% of Dorset’s required crushed limestone to the area – ran out of stone at the end of 2024, having run on limited reserves since 2022.
After a lengthy planning period, approval for the quarry extension was granted by Dorset Council in December 2022, a process which began as far back as 2012.
Now open, the extension area will produce 2.4 million tonnes of Dorset Limestone, which will be used in a variety of different sectors: sub-base for highways and construction schemes; rock armour for sea defences; and gabion stone and decorative chippings for house builders and domestic customers.
To access the extension area, a bridge has been built, allowing the quarried stone to be brought over to the crusher, which is still located in the original quarry. The bridge was officially opened in the middle of January this year, with a low-key ceremony attended by some of the team members who have worked over the last few months to get the extension operational.
John Suttle, director of Suttle Stone Quarries, commented: ‘Our family have been quarrying in the Isle of Purbeck since the 1920s, purchasing Swanworth Quarry in 2011. We are passionate about our industry, its rich history within the Isle of Purbeck, and the people who work in it.
‘The Swanworth Quarry extension not only guarantees the supply of aggregates to our loyal customers in the local area, but it also secures jobs for our existing team long into the future, many of whom have been with us for many years. We couldn’t be happier with the opening of the extension area or more excited for the future of Swanworth Quarry.’
Dorset-based Suttles are a family-run business that employs 100 staff, with sustainability at the core of its values. Suttles comprise a group of companies, including Suttle Stone Quarries and Suttle Projects, with four operational sites across Dorset, two of which are in the Isle of Purbeck, and the others in Mannings Heath and Hamworthy, Poole.
