Elliscales Quarry

Also within

Cumbria County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

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

Description

Area, 1.4 hectares 3.46 ac Description Elliscales Quarry is situated next to the A595 on the northern outskirts of Dalton in Furness. It is an important geological site and, in addition, contains a rich limestone grassland community. The quarry faces and rock outcrops within this site provide the best exposures of limestone layers known as the Red Hill Oolite and Lower Dalton Beds originally formed about 345 million years ago during the early Carboniferous Period of geological history. These limestones are of special interest as they contain mound structures, resembling modern coral reefs but of uncertain origin, which are better exposed here than at any other locality. This is thus an important site for geological study of the Carboniferous Limestone with great potential for research, particularly into the mode of origin of the reef structures. The limestone grassland that surrounds much of the quarry has a varied and typical flora including cowslip Primula veris, lady's bedstraw Galium verum, pignut Conopodium majus, carline thistle Carlina vulgaris, common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. The grassland extends onto the ledges of the rocky outcrops but where these are very narrow and in crevices, species such as wall rue Asplenium ruta-muraria, shining crane's bill Geranium lucidum, rue leaved saxifrage Saxifraga tridactylites and biting stonecrop Sedum acre thrive. A technical description of the geological interest can be obtained from the Nature Conservancy Council, the short statement given here should not be regarded as comprehensive.

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.