When thinking of Northumberland's dark skies, normally people will immediately think of going inland to one of the county's five observatories.
However, a derelict quarry which became the first site on the Northumberland coast to be awarded dark skies designation is also an option. And though much less well-known than the likes of Kielder Water and Forest Park, it has already featured on TV this year in Kate Humble's Coastal Britain.
Embleton Quarry, which dates back to 1864, had fallen into disuse and the local community is spearheading a project to redevelop the quarry into a nature reserve. A major source of employment for the area for more than a century, the site became overgrown and unused after whinstone production ended in the 1960s.
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Embleton Parish Council wanted to revive the site and put together a plan of action in 2016 which led to them acquiring parts of the quarry in stages from Northumberland County Council. The Parish Council now owns the entire quarry and the associated Quarry House.
Led by local people, the site has been subject to extensive works to make it into an attraction for locals and tourists alike, with significant clearance and groundwork being carried out over the past five years. The site is now easily accessible again and work is ongoing to make it fully accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The latest phase in the development of Embleton Quarry Nature Reserve involves the preservation of the Quarry House, once the home of the quarry manager, which is is hoped will be restored in the years ahead.
Terry Howells, chair of Embleton Parish Council, said: "We have spent a lot of time designing the site to get to our objective of creating a nature reserve. The great thing about this project is that nobody has had a bad word to say about it, everyone seems to be with us.
"It’s very much led by the community. Back in 2017, we got to work straight away in clearing undesirable gorse and other vegetation, acquiring the rest of the quarry and then opening up more of the site from there.
" We’ve managed to clear a lot of paths and it’s now a site people can visit and enjoy, although work continues. We held a trial evening of stargazing in the darkest part of the quarry, and over 100 people came, so that was very successful – we look forward to hosting more of such events.
" Recently we organised clearing inside the house, which was a big job in itself - over the years the roof had fallen in and some massive trees had grown inside the house, and we are now working on getting it ready for stabilisation work to take place. This has been a huge undertaking and a very exciting project, and we’re delighted to have such positivity and positive feedback from the community and from our visitors, too."
Embleton Parish Council's acquisition and development of the site has been supported Newcastle law firm Sintons. Sam Watts, real estate solicitor said: "The development of Embleton Quarry Nature Reserve is an absolutely fantastic project and t his has been a real labour of love for the Parish Council, and their volunteer workers whose dedication has been unfaltering and the fact this has been led by the local community makes it very special.
" Through their efforts, what was once a key site in the local community has regained its proud status through becoming an attraction which is set to bring in tourists from miles around, as well as being a beautiful area for local people to enjoy. Embleton Quarry Nature Reserve is now another great asset in our wonderful North East of England and we are delighted to have supported the plans in becoming a reality."
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