[1] Its importance as a home for bats led to the site being designated in 2005 (together with Fonthill Grottoes) as a European Special Area of Conservation.

Chilmark stone, a form of limestone, was mined here from medieval times and was used for buildings including Salisbury Cathedral.

[3][4] In 1936 the quarry and mines were bought by the Air Ministry and used as a storage area for RAF Chilmark, a munitions depot, until 1995.

Within the disused quarries on the western side of the valley, there is a system of caves in which up to 150 bats, of several species, roost in winter.

Fossils are uncommon in the beds recently being extracted, but include ammonites and other shells.