Astbury Mere

About

Astbury Mere is a lake and open area in West Heath, a suburb of Congleton, Cheshire, England, in an area formerly quarried for silica sand. Part of the area is accredited by Natural England as a country park, Astbury Mere Country Park. The country park has an area of 14 hectares (35 acres) and the lake covers 43 acres (17 ha). The park is owned by Astbury Mere Trust, and the lake and its banks by Stoke-on-Trent Angling Society.

History: Extraction of silica sand occurred at the Congleton West Heath quarry from around the 1930s until 1984. The sand was used for making glass and for precision casting of metal. In September 1967, the Congleton Chronicle reported local opposition to further sand quarrying around Astbury, including complaints from residents about dust and arguments from footpath campaigners that diverted footpaths should be restored once quarrying ceased. After the closure of the quarry, the site was divided into housing (Ennerdale Drive estate) and open space. A trust was established in 1989 to manage the open land. The park first opened to the public in 1991. In 2002, the Stoke-on-Trent Angling Society acquired the lake. By 2008 the Astbury Mere Trust had acquired...