Scar Cottage Quarry is a former working quarry in the Triassic Bromsgrove Sandstone bed in Martley. It forms part of our garden and as such is maintained round the year in a domestic garden setting. Private and group visits occur according to demand by prior arrangement with us as the owners. There are no accessibility problems for those with impaired mobility. The site is suitable for geology visits and other public events such as outdoor concerts or theatrical productions; indeed both operatic and jazz events have previously been held as part of a local music festival. The site has also formerly been part of village open garden events.
 
In the wider context of Martley geology the Teme Valley Geological Society (TVGS) has developed a number of sites and trails with the help of the EHT and EU funding, and has commissioned and published an exhaustive audit of Martley geology. The nationally significant Martley Rock site has been developed as a maintained visitor attraction with information boards, spectator rails, leaflets and a car park, and is the subject of a scientific paper being published in a peer reviewed journal. Information boards have also been placed at 4 other locations on the published trails. A geology information board has been sited in the village centre, containing geology and walking maps, and supplies of trail leaflets. The TVGS is involved in developing the concept of Martley as part of the European Geovillage movement.
 

In Scar Cottage quarry, clearance of overhanging vegetation at the top of the rock faces was achieved by a working party from the TVGS in the Winter of 2012 – 13 in preparation for the year ahead. During 2013 a number of geology groups visited the quarry, including the Chantry School (Martley), the Oxford Geology Group, the Malvern U3A Geology group and other groups associated with local geology courses. We also welcomed 2 groups who were walking the Martley geology trails on 8th June as part of Geofest 2013, when tea and cakes were served to about 20 visitors. The quarry was also visited by a number of visiting speakers after meetings of the TVGS.
 

 
Apart from geology related activities, there were 2 other group visits. On 18th July we hosted a meeting in the quarry of the Worcester U3A poetry group, with readings on the subject of ‘Stones’. On 28th July the quarry was turned for one day into a sculpture garden for a ‘Summer Sunday Sculpture Soiree’, in which members of a sculpture course at Malvern College of Art exhibited work mostly of the human figure, with the quarry face as a very impressive backdrop.

 
Publicity for Scar Cottage Quarry through distribution of the Champion Site leaflet occurred at meetings of TVGS, and nationally at the Geology Association Festival of Geology at UCL, London, on 2nd November as part of the TVGS exhibit.
 
At the time of writing, the quarry is subject to its usual winter intermittent run-off flooding following several weeks of heavy rain. There have also been a number of weather related rock falls from eroded parts of the quarry faces including one piece approaching a cubic metre in size. However, as the weather improves in the Spring, we will prepare the site for another season of visits and activities.
 
Those interested in visiting or organising an event at the quarry should see the Contact page.