Magheramorne Quarry and cement works is located not far from Larne, it was a quarry operated for crushed stone. Vesicular basalt with zeolite-lined cavities with associated species. Most recently, Blue circle cement was made here. Lafarge Tarmac owned it and had big plans for it (https://www.larnetimes.co.uk/news/developer-vows-forge-ahead-magheramorne-quarry-plans-2592247) I'm not certain they still own it, but it is used for off road 4x4 driving currently. I didn't know it at the time, but apparently the guy responsible for security is 'well known' and if what I've been told is accurate he is (https://www.irishcentral.com/news/former-british-soldier-shocking-roscommon-eviction) There was one or two indications I wasn't the first person to visit, and I've seen pics from here and thought it was on this site but a search shows nothing. The site is probably most well know for being one of the main sites for Game of Thrones filming in NI, with the White wall and a large section of the quarry painted white at one point there was also a fairly large structure built at the quarry wall, I remember reading that a portion of the wall fell one day and filming had to be stopped for a while... its all gone now but here are some pictures from then from google.
I visited this when lockdown restrictions had just been lifted in N.I. It was a very wet and windy Sunday Evening and in typical fashion my initial thought on entry led me in the complete wrong direction, I realised fairly quickly and went for the old faithful obvious and it wasn't long before I had got into what I later realised was the first of 2 (or some would argue 3) sections. First was the cement works themselves, some outbuildings and big bits of machinery, mostly very old and dilapidated, but full of character. I spent a good while exploring all buildings except what appeared to be an (unmanned) security lodge. A quick climb over a fence took me into the quarry section of the site which is where the artificial wall had been built, a huge green screen which you can see in the previous report. It has been dismantled and only some metal work remains. The quarry is separated by a main road and a rail line to Larne a bridge connects the two sections at the far end of which is a gate. I spent a few minutes pondering how to get around it, over it or through it. As I was about to take the least sketchy route I could see, one of the rails wobbled, it was hanging by one bolt and I was able to slip through very easily. This section of the site had at least 2 large pools, one with two large silo type structures above and another that I only realised existed when I found what was probably the best part of the entire site, a tunnel. Totally unexpected, it made my night.
anyway I think that's more than enough waffle, in no particular order other than saving what I consider the best half a dozen or so to last;
I visited this when lockdown restrictions had just been lifted in N.I. It was a very wet and windy Sunday Evening and in typical fashion my initial thought on entry led me in the complete wrong direction, I realised fairly quickly and went for the old faithful obvious and it wasn't long before I had got into what I later realised was the first of 2 (or some would argue 3) sections. First was the cement works themselves, some outbuildings and big bits of machinery, mostly very old and dilapidated, but full of character. I spent a good while exploring all buildings except what appeared to be an (unmanned) security lodge. A quick climb over a fence took me into the quarry section of the site which is where the artificial wall had been built, a huge green screen which you can see in the previous report. It has been dismantled and only some metal work remains. The quarry is separated by a main road and a rail line to Larne a bridge connects the two sections at the far end of which is a gate. I spent a few minutes pondering how to get around it, over it or through it. As I was about to take the least sketchy route I could see, one of the rails wobbled, it was hanging by one bolt and I was able to slip through very easily. This section of the site had at least 2 large pools, one with two large silo type structures above and another that I only realised existed when I found what was probably the best part of the entire site, a tunnel. Totally unexpected, it made my night.
anyway I think that's more than enough waffle, in no particular order other than saving what I consider the best half a dozen or so to last;
