Tout Quarry

Part of Tout Quarry's landscape

Tout Quarry (aka Tout Quarry Sculpture Park) is a disused quarry, located on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarry stands at the north-west corner of Tophill. A Sculpture Park and Nature Reserve since 1983, the quarry displays a collection of various carvings and works in Portland Stone.[1][2]

Background

Tout Quarry worked commercially from c.1750-1982 as one of eighty working quarries on Portland. The 260-year-old quarry workings were last worked in 1982 for a boulder contract when 30,000 tons were excavated from the quarrymen's banking for sea defenses. Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust began the sculpture park in 1983, saving the quarry from further mineral extraction with the creation of sculptures, and the park officially opened in that year. Many of the original site specific sculptures can still be discovered today, although some didn't last much longer than a year.[1][3]

In places around the quarry, there are numerous ravines leading to the cliff edge. The Tramway lines once ran through the quarry, taking stone waste to the be dumped over the cliff or taking block stone to Priory Corner where it awaited transport by the local railway for the ships at Castletown.[1] Lano's Bridge was built in the mid-1800s to carry a high level tramway taking stone waste to the cliff edge.[1] The bridge is Grade II Listed.[4]

With further work to link up Portland's disused public quarries as part of the Portland Quarry Trail project, in 2010 it was decided to unblock an old tramway tunnel to provide a pedestrian walkway under the main road from Tout Quarry to Inmosthay Quarry. In addition, the route of the Merchants' Railway behind Tillycombe had been opened up as well as the tramway route into King Barrow Quarries.[5]

Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust

The Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust was formed in 1983 when the quarry was turned into a park.[6] The Trust is dedicated to preserving a knowledge and understanding of all aspects of stone and the landscape from which it comes. It operates within the quarry, where a working workshop is located within the quarry.[7] The outdoor workshop runs from May to September each year for artists all levels of skill. The workshop's yearly programme of stone carving and sculpture courses teaches skills in stone carving direct carving, lettercutting, relief carving and architectural detail. The Drill Hall indoor stone workspace nearby is also used for this purpose.

In 2008, the Trust was the runner-up in the British Urban Regeneration Association's awards for community-inspired regeneration.[8] In 2009, the Trust was shortlisted for the British Urban Regeneration Awards Scheme.[9]

In 2012, the Stone Island Programme was created, based within the workshop.[10]

Sculptures

There is estimated to be over 70 different sculptures within the quarry.[11] These include:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Tout Quarry and Sculpture Park, Portland, Dorset". Geoffkirby.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  2. ↑ "Tout Quarry Map | General". Learningstone.org. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust - History | General". Learningstone.org. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1281839)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.portlanders.co.uk/lano%27s-bridge.html
  6. ↑ http://learningstone.org/images/stories/Tout_3_word.doc
  7. ↑ "Tout Quarry Portland Sculpture Trust & Stone Carving on Portland". Visitweymouth.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  8. ↑ http://www.regen.net/news/922538/Set-stone
  9. ↑ Swinney, Hilda (29 January 2009). "Portland quarry trust up for award (From Dorset Echo)". Dorsetecho.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "Stone Island Programme | General". Learningstone.org. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  11. ↑ http://learningstone.org/images/stories/Tout4a.doc

External links

Gallery

Coordinates: 50°33′11″N 2°26′41″W / 50.5531°N 2.4446°W / 50.5531; -2.4446

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