Whitlingham enters final phase

Restoration of the 725 Lafarge’s Whitlingham Quarry has entered the final stage after 20 years of mineral extraction at the site. The company opened the sand and gravel quarry in 1990 and has produced around 200,000tonnes of material each year for the local market since then.

The quarry has been progressively restored for form the award winning Whitlingham Country Park but with the final reserves now exhausted, the final stage of restoration well underway. The first phase of this restoration, Whitlingham ‘Little Broad’, is a 4ha lake, which was completed in 1997. It now provides a training facility for windsurfing, dinghy sailing and scuba diving. The ‘Main Broad’, which was completed and handed over to the Whitlingham Charitable Trust, created a 1500m long rowing course, along with facilities for other water sports such as canoeing, windsurfing and sailing together with a wildlife conservation area.  The Broads Authority which manage the country park are enjoying ever increasing numbers of visitors.

 The final phase of the restoration is now nearing completion with the creation of the third and final broad, at Thorpe Marsh, to create ‘Thorpe Broad’, to the north side of the River Yare. The restoration of this part of the quarry will provide for nature conservation, including bird hides and permissive footpaths. It is hoped this broad can be handed over by The Whitlingham Charitable Trust and managed by 4690 Thorpe Town Council.

Since ceasing operations at Whitlingham and opening the new Mangreen Quarry near Swardeston, Lafarge has been dismantling its processing facilities at Whitlingham and will shortly be submitting a planning application for the restoration of this part of the site.