History

Since 1927, Longcliffe has been a big part of the Derbyshire Hill community, transforming the landscape and providing many jobs for local residents. Over the last 90 years, we have established our name in the UK limestone industry, becoming one of the finest and largest suppliers of calcium carbonate powders and aggregates.

The Brassington Moor Quarry was established in 1927 and still remains an integral part of the operations at Longcliffe. In 1945. After almost 20 years of quarrying limestone for industrial purposes, we began producing agricultural limes for the farming industry. Our limes are still used, to this day, in agricultural applications to help neutralise soil acidity and improve crop growth.

Between 1953 and 1974, we were committed to expanding the processing capabilities at Longcliffe and invested in new equipment to aid our growth. Firstly, we installed an ultrafine ball mill and Rayco classifier and not long after, commissioned the installation of a fluid bed dryer. In 1967 we purchased our first front-end loading shovel for £6,850 and in 1974, installed an Ambuco plant for the production of high purity limestone for the glass industry.

By 1978, we were in need of new reserves and installed a tunnel under the road to access further limestone deposits. As the size of the quarry continued to expand, we invested in more equipment including a Pyro plant in 1979, an Alpine plant in 1981 and a new Baioni crusher in 1991.

In 2010, Longcliffe secured the purchase of the Ryder Point Quarry enabling us to produce and supply a range of dolomite aggregates for the decorative, concrete and construction markets.

As an environmentally conscious company, we took the decision in 2015 to install two wind turbines on our sites, providing us with a reliable supply of renewable energy. We hope to increase this number in the future to ensure Longcliffe remains a sustainable quarry.

In 2018, we celebrated the 50th work anniversary of long-time employee Gerald Lees. Joining the company when he was 21 years old, Gerald has dedicated his working life to Longcliffe becoming one of the most valued members of the team.