Tout sculpture park, Isle of Portland

Tout Quarry is a sculpture park and nature reserve in an abandoned 13 hectare quarry. The quarry was worked commercially from 1780 until 1982 and is one of 8 on the Isle of Portland.
The limestone quarried from Portland, known as Portland Stone, has been used on important buildings around the world. These include Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and the UN Headquarters in New York. The remains of the quarry’s limestone has been used to create sculptures. The sculpture park has existed since 1983, while the site also become a nature reserve in around 2004. There are over 70 sculptures to be discovered. The sculptures are made during artists residencies, where well known and emerging artists created both temporary and permanent work.

Twelve large ‘Memory Stones’ stand at one of the entry points to Tout Quarry Sculpture and Nature Reserve. Sitting right on at the top Portland, the stones, created by artist Hannah Sofaer, line up with the passage of the sun through the summer and winter solstice, and the spring and autumn equinox.

An outdoor workshop is situated within the quarry, which operates from May to September each year in order to run workshops to develop stone masonry skills. #isleofportland #toutsculpturepark #portland #dorset #secretdorset