Quarries: Hopton Wood Quarry
Hopton Wood Quarry is a collection of three former quarries managed as a reserve by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
This site, as with other former quarry sites located adjacent to the nearby High Peak Trail, has long since been abandoned and provides an important example of how wildlife can recolonise such small-scale workings over a period of time, creating a range of habitats.
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The flat quarry floors have undergone a slow process of colonisation, allowing calcareous grassland supporting a rich diversity of limestone plant species to develop. Of particular interest are the many rare species of orchid that grow here.
Alongside the more widespread common-spotted orchid, it is possible to find fragrant orchids, fly orchids and frog orchids flowering through late spring and summer. The steep walls of the quarries provide roosting and nesting sites for bird species such as jackdaw, whilst along the margins of the quarries hawthorn scrub has invaded. Furthermore, in places, woodland has become well-established, encouraging shade-tolerant species such as broad-leaved helleborine and common twayblade to flourish. As the site is particularly sensitive to disturbance a permit is required to visit the reserve. For more information about this contact the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. |
