Geology and quarrying
- Ham Hill is made of a special type of stone called hamstone, which is about 170 million years old. This stone was formed under the sea a long time ago, from bits of shells and sea creatures that pressed together over time.
- The layer of hamstone is not very thick and sits on top of sand. When you walk around Ham Hill, you are walking on what was once the seabed!
- Some parts of Ham Hill are protected because the stone is important for science. People have been using hamstone for building since Roman times. There are still marks on the rocks from old tools used to cut out the stone.
- In the 1880s, more than 200 men worked in the quarries at Ham Hill. The stone was used to build many local houses and famous places like Sherborne Abbey and Montacute House.
- The earth mounds near the Ranger’s Centre are piles left over from old quarry work.
View information about Somerset’s geology on the Somerset geology website and at the Visitor Centre.