Graham Robbins
Scrooby quarry was used for excavation of Sherwood Sandstone and glacial deposits of gravel by the Rotherham Sand and Gravel Company. The larger and deeper quarry at Scrooby Top is still working, and is likely to expand.
Following the abandonment of the Scrooby quarry workings, silver birch woodland became established thoughout the rough left-over terrain. The undergrowth is well used by wild birds including coots and migrating geese. Owls hunt at dusk over the leveller grassland.
The quarry flooded during the heavy rainfall of Summer 2007. The drainage network on the eastern side of the railway was not capable of carrying the water away, and the quarry remained flooded throughout the winter and spring.
Scrooby Quarry with Flooded Silver Birch Woodland February 2008
Scrooby Quarry at Sunset, 22 April 2008
In April 2008, following the improvement of the drainage network on the eastern side of the railway, the Rotherham Sand and Gravel Company began draining the quarry using a large mechanical pump. The pump squats in a large metal cage like a dangerous animal.
Scrooby Quarry: Pump, 22 April 2008
Scrooby Quarry: Partially Drained, 22 April 2008. The vegetation's bleached stripe shows the old high water mark.
Scrooby Quarry, drainage, 17 June 2008
Scrooby Quarry, drainage, 17 June 2008
Orchids grow around the quarry. Identifications are tentative.
?Pyramidal Orchid, Scrooby Quarry, 17 June 2008
Identification as Pyramidal Orchid rests on lack of spots on leaves, and flowering period in June. If spots were found on leaves the plant is the Common Spotted Orchid.
?Pyramidal Orchid, Scrooby Quarry, 17 June 2008
Bee Orchid, Scrooby Quarry, 17 June 2008
