Hulme Quarry National Nature Reserve - Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, UK.
N 53° 00.003 W 002° 06.257
30U E 560111 N 5872651
Hulme Quarry located at Park Hall Country Park in Weston Coyney, is a disused quarry designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it is a key site in understanding the Triassic environment in both a regional and national context.
Waymark Code: WMY102
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/30/2018
Views: 3
Hulme Quarry is located at Park Hall Country Park, Hulme Road in Weston Coyney. It is one of the city's most important natural sites and is managed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in association with Natural England. (
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Park Hall Country Park and Hulme Quarry NNR covers an area of over 135 hectares and has a varied landscape of sandstone canyons, open heathland, hay meadows, deciduous and coniferous woodland and wetland areas.
Just under one third of the Country Park is designated as a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserve, which is known as Hulme Quarry. It was declared as Stoke-on-Trent's only National Nature Reserve in 2002, and the sandstone canyons are a Site of Special Scientific Interest for their geology.
"On 18th April 2002 Hulme Quarry SSSI, part of Park Hall Country Park straddling the Stoke-on-Trent/Staffordshire boundary, was officially designated by English Nature a National Nature Reserve for its Geology. This is a key site in our understanding of Triassic environments and contains spectacular exposures of conglomerates and pebbly sandstones, including a sequence of individually graded cross beds younging northwards. The quarry gives its name to the Hulme Member of the Sherwood Sandstone Group." Source: (
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"The canyon, sometimes known as the ‘Play Canyon’, is the focal point of Hulme Quarry National Nature Reserve. It is located entirely within the country park boundary and consists of a series of canyons that were created by quarrying activities in the mid-20th century. The canyons contain nationally important exposures of red sandstone and pebble beds, which were deposited between 250 and 215 million years ago. At this time, during the Triassic period, Great Britain was situated just north of the equator in hot desert latitudes. The visible geology is the product of flash flood deposits in a desert environment. By examining the way in which the pebbles have been deposited geologists can work out from which direction the floods came." Source: (
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"The sandstone canyons and heathlands are important nesting sites for kestrels and little owls and sand martins breed nearby. The heathland and woods provide a habitat for short-eared owls, skylarks, meadow pipits and partridge and the gorse is valuable for linnets. The four pools on the west side of the park have a great range of birds. Insects include the uncommon black darter dragonfly, and a number of unusual beetles, including the green tiger beetle, inhabit the damp, sandy areas." Source: (
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