Swanage: restored Quarr at Durlston Country Park

Stone extraction - the hard way

Stone has been quarried in Purbeck since the time of the Roman occupation. Uses of Purbeck stone have included building stone, as well as the production of sarcophagi and the highly prized Purbeck marble.

This restored quarr (the Dorset term for quarry) is typical of mining techniques used well into the twentieth century. The stone lies in beds, as can be seen from the photograph.

Very small groups of quarrymen would work a quarry. Digging downwards until they found a bed of stone, a system of tunnels would then be developed. This was dangerous business, as the tunnels were unstable and prone to collapse.

The photograph shows the steps by which the quarrymen entered the mine and a "slide" (inclined stone shaft) for pulling up carts laden with stone. This was achieved by the use of ropes, and later chains; the pulling power was provided by a capstan at ground level, turned by a horse which walked around a circular towpath.