Hills’ newest quarry at Cerney Wick is scheduled to open later in 2015 helping to meet market demand for washed aggregate products. The Cerney Wick gravel, which is a product of the last ice-age, is Oolitic gravel has a rounded or egg-like shape making it an ideal concreting aggregate and an excellent decorative gravel for applications such as driveways.
Cerney Wick quarry borders North Meadow, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The area is protected because the rare Fritillaria Meleagris, or Snake’s Head Fritillary flower grows in abundance on the meadow. The Hills Quarry Products team has worked with Natural England, the Open University, Gloucester County Council and the Environment Agency to create a scheme which enables them to preserve the area, restricting operations to within around 250 metres of North Meadow during the summer, when ground water levels are low. Wildlife will be encouraged to the area during the various stages the quarry will go through. During the extraction phases, some of the gravel faces will be left open for the flocks of Sand Martins to occupy during April to October. As phased restoration takes place aquatic wildlife and wading birds will be attracted to the site.
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