About the reserve

This reserve is one of the few sites in the county showing good exposures of andesite lava. The lower face of the site is variable andesite-dacite and the upper face is mainly purple porphyritic andesite with amygdaloidal patches.

The floor of the lower bench contains gorse, elder, hawthorn and broom scrub with elm and ash. The upper bench supports grazed bentfescue grassland. On the quarry faces grow polypody fern, common stork's-bill, dove's-foot crane's-bill, harebell and bluebell. The quarry faces north and is locally wet - these factors may be responsible for the good bryophyte and lichen flora. The site is managed in partnership with Ford and Etal Estates.

There is evidence that James IV of Scotland camped at Flodden Quarry in 1513. This quarry stands on a hill 2.4km south of Flodden Battlefield. The battle was a decisive English victory in the long conflict between James IV and the Earl of Surrey and his English forces.