Swanworth Quarry in Purbeck ran out of stone at the end of 2024 – having operated on limited reserves for two years.

An extension to a new, adjacent, working area, reached by building a bridge, was approved by Dorset Council in 2022, after a planning process which began ten years earlier.

The extension will produce 2.4 million tonnes of Dorset limestone which will be used in a variety of different sectors – as sub-base for highways and construction schemes, rock armour for sea defences, gabion stone and decorative chippings for house builders and domestic customers.

Operators Suttle Stone Quarries prior to the extension being agreed had been supplying approximately half of Dorset’s required crushed limestone.

To access the extension 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 has been officially opened in a low key ceremony attended by some of the team members that have worked over the last few months to get the extension operational.

Said Director John Suttle: “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 that 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 which 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.”

Suttles said the a family-run business is run of ethical guidelines with sustainability at the core of its values, employing more than 100 staff in Dorset.

The business comprises a group of companies including Suttle Stone Quarries and Suttle Projects, with 4 operating sites based across Dorset, including two in the Isle of Purbeck, and sites at Mannings Heath and Hamworthy, Poole.  Suttle Projects offers national civil engineering, earthworks, piling and marine solutions.