Prospect Quarry

Also within

Isle of Wight County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Paleogene · Rock Type: Chalk, Limestone

Description

Area, 4.3 hectares 10.62 ac Description This disused quarry provides the best exposure of the pisolitic and laminated facies of the Bembridge Limestone, a facies which is absent or poorly represented at other exposures on the Isle of Wight. The limestones are of late Palaeogene age, laid down about 40 million years ago and contain an abundant and diverse fauna or fossil terrestrial gastropods which indicate a protracted period of dry land conditions in this area at that time. The limestones show numerous caliche like features which developed under conditions of subaerial exposures, probably controlled by contemporary uplift along the Isle of Wight monocline. Biologically, the quarry is of importance because its floor supports one of the very few fragments of limestone grassland on the Isle of Wight. It also includes a small, high calcareous pond with an interesting aquatic flora and fauna. The grassland flora displays many features usually associated with chalk downland and includes species such as rest-harrow Ononis repens, cowslips Primula veris, parsley piert Aphanes arvensis, kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria and the rare dwarf mouse ear Cerastium pumilum. The pond has developed in the remnants of a stone loading bay on the western edge of the quarry. This supports an aquatic fauna and flora which includes broad leaved pondweed Potamogeton natans, Canadian pondweed Elodea canadensis, water crowfoot Ranunculus aquatilis, great pond snails Lymnaea stagnalis and palmate newts Lissotriton helveticus. In parts of the quarry, blackthorn thickets have developed, interspersed with areas of stinging nettles Urtica dioica and colt's foot Tussilago farfara on areas of spoil produced from quarry workings.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.