ABOUT US
Harwood Quarry is part of The Booth Group and is a specialist shale quarry located in the heart of Harwood, Greater Manchester.
Our quarry plays a vital role in supplying materials to the UK construction industry, specifically residential building construction. Our unique location ensures we can provide exceptional quality minerals to local brick factories, helping to meet the demands currently placed on the UK housing market.
The products at Harwood Quarry have a unique chemistry which is environmentally friendly when used in brick manufacturing compared to other raw materials.
Whilst our quarry is rich in minerals needed for the construction market, we have invested in our future and the ethical restoration of our site into a place of natural beauty for our community.
Our site has a long history of being a quarry, with the earliest mention on local maps dating as far back as 1850!
Originally known as Harwood Flag Rock Quarry, the quarry supplied flags and stones to local builders. It continued to supply products, primarily stone and brick making materials which increased in popularity in the 1980’s
Restoration of the site commenced in 1950s and gathered pace in the 1960s when the site operated as a commercial and industrial waste landfill.
The quarry was purchased in 1976 by JAMES BOOTH (Bolton). At this time, the business provided services to Bolton Corporation and supplied local brick manufacturers using JAMES BOOTH’s fleet of wagons. The use of these wagons continues to the current date.
Since then, Harwood Quarry has become a leading supplier of brick manufacturing materials to companies like Wienerberger, Forterra & Ibstock.
In 2000 new guidance was released which updated historical waste management licencing. Harwood Quarry began working with our specialist operator Booth Ventures to ensure the site complied with modern guidance.
Our commitment to safe practices meant that we limited the waste accepted to those which are not hazardous. The new guidance also required a commitment to re-engineering and remediate old areas, which continues to be our methodology and will last throughout the life cycle of the site.
In more recent years, Booth Ventures agreed to acquire the site from JAMES BOOTH in 2011 with a final handover occurring in 2021. This handover marks an exciting new chapter for Harwood Quarry as the new owners are able to focus on their core strategy of environmentally sustainable business practices.
The future of Harwood Quarry is now focused on creating a proud legacy and restoring the site to a place of natural beauty, ensuring all quarrying work is effectively managed to protect the land, provide environmental benefits, create biodiversity and benefit the community.
Harwood Quarry is only one of two quarries that can produce the shale needed to create high-quality bricks, making us a vital natural resource for the UK housing market.
Our contribution to the construction industry, there would be a significant impact on the housing market and the regeneration of communities throughout the country. We also specialise in recovering excess soils from developments to increase biodiversity gain once restored.
We understand the impact mining can have on the landscape, so to ensure the long-term sustainability of the site, we’re fully committed to safe practices that protect the land, our people and our communities.
Our vision is focused on creating a legacy that our community can be proud of.
Providing wildlife with habitats is one of the many benefits of quarrying. Here are some of our local friends.
