More information : (SY 690 720. Portland Limestone Quarries sited from OS 1:10000 1978)
Portland Limestone Quarries. Although Portland Limestone had been exploited by the Romans, full exploitation only began in earnest in the early C 14. The earliest quarries are in the NE of the island. Until the arrival of the railways in 1826, all stone had to be shipped from wooden piers on the east side of the island.
An extensive network of tramways were used to transport the stone, the quarries on the Weston side of the island using the Merchants tramway to Castletown, the central and eatern quarries using a route to The Camber along the east side of the island. By 1903 both networks were linked to utilise both of these routes and also the Portland Railway [SY 67 SE 51] and the Easton and Church Hope Railway [SY 67 SE 53]. (See SY 67 SE 51 illustration card for a copy of the 1903 6" map) (1-3) |