On this one-off special day, our neighbours at Whatley Quarry will be throwing open their gates to the public between 10:30am and 3:00pm with a host of family-friendly activities. Why would kids possibly be interested in a quarrying, you ask? How’s this for starters - quarries are home to monster dumper trucks and diggers which kids will totally 'dig' (pun intended). Even better, Whatley's explosives specialists will be digging out the dynamite to blow stuff up - what kid could possibly not get excited about that? Even we're tempted to take the day off to attend.

All are welcome at this free, family-friendly event. There will be something for everyone with a range of family-friendly activities including giant quarry machinery displays and demonstrations, a raffle, a vintage vehicle exhibition and minibus tours of the quarry site. Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore fossil and mineral finds from the site, with free examples to take home.

We're pleased to report that Vobster Quay will be taking part too with a display of the industrial history of our very own now flooded quarry. You'll learn all about how Charles Moore first discovered Carboniferous limestone in the 1850s and the subsequent development of the Vobster site by industrialist John Wainwright. It's not just about men in flat caps with impressive moustaches either - we'll reveal how all this mining activity literally shaped much of what visitors now see underwater.

We’ll also be unveiling a display dedicated to Vobster Quay’s more recent history - from our first opening in 2001 and the sinking of our first dive attraction to more recent landmarks in our history including fabulous events like our popular Glow Swim, TEKCamp and the Vobster Photogrammetry Project.

Last but not least, we'll be revealing the wildlife that shares the site with us. We are proud to be home to cormorants, great-crested grebes, majestic red kites, beautiful kingfishers, otters and, of course, our resident colony of protected white-clawed crayfish. Fish life in the lake is plentiful too with large colonies of perch, rudd and silver bream congregating in the shallows. We've got so much to share with you!