Bordering the New Forest in Hythe, Hampshire, Forest Lodge is home to a sand and gravel quarry supplying much-needed construction aggregate to the local construction industry.
Forest Lodge (Hythe) Quarry was Identified in the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan (2013) as ‘the best option for continuing a local supply of soft sand and sharp sand and gravel from this part of south Hampshire’.
Planning permission for mineral extraction and restoration was granted in March 2017 and quarrying commenced in August 2018. The quarry is split into three phases and is planned to be completed by 2028.
TJ are proud members of the Mineral Products Association (MPA), ensuring our core values and best practice aligns with quarry operators all around the UK. This is embodied by the company’s slogan: ‘Excellence. Delivered safely’.
Supplying aggregates to the construction industry
After acquiring the Butser site near Petersfield, TJ spent many months getting the site ready for use and quarrying began in 2018. An excavation plan was put in place to ensure safe, efficient and sustainable quarrying for the years to come.
Butser is a chalk quarry and as the strongest naturally-occuring material in Hampshire, TJ recognised its value and now utilises it in several forms – as crushed chalk, ‘as dug’ chalk, gabion rock chalk and agglime chalk.
The crushed chalk – also referred to as 6F5 rock chalk, is a primary general fill aggregate. It’s most commonly used for capping, laid over terram to raise and level natural ground ready for a Type 1 sub base.
The ‘as dug’ chalk is used as a temporary base or infill for construction projects and works well for these purposes as it is naturally hard. The gabion rock chalk is used within wire baskets as support for soil banks. The agglime part of the chalk is a powder-like material that is spread over agricultural fields to make the ground more fertile.
