Winspit Quarry
Winspit is a disused quarry on the Isle of Purbeck. It was used to mine stone for buildings mainly in London. It was also used in World War II for naval and air defences.
Some caves are usually open to the public, however many of them have been closed for public safety and bat conservation (the caves are home to fifteen of Britain’s native bat species). This year much of the area has been closed due to potential rock falls and cave collapse. The area can only be reached on foot, with parking available in the nearest town, Worth Matravers. As well as the caves, there are also empty shells of the quarry cottage and two larger buildings.
Winspit Quarry has been used as a filming location on multiple occasions. It can be seen in the Doctor Who episodes “The Underwater Menace” and “Destiny of the Daleks”. It was also used as the location for the “Orkney Dig” in the Disney film John Carter. More recently the quarry was used for the Star Wars series Andor. The crew had planned to return for further filming however the recent instability of the area caused them to change location.
Images by:
Charlesdrakew, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Winspit Quarry by Becca