Lunar Society Moonstones

The Moonstones are a set of eight carved memorials to various members of the Lunar Society. Made in 1998, they can be viewed in the grounds of the Asda supermarket in Great Barr, Birmingham, England. They are visible from the road, when driving up Queslett Road from the Old Horns roundabout toward the Scott Arms.

Working from Aldridge Road round to Queslett Road, they depict eight members of the Society:

apologies for the picture qualities but  getting the right light is difficult here and new photos will be taken soon.

photo tba 

• Josiah Wedgwood: Portrait & three women from a Jasper ware design

• Erasmus Darwin Portrait & design for Horizontal Windmill

• Samuel Galton: Colour Wheel

• William Murdock: Steam road locomotive

• Matthew Boulton: Medal with his portrait

• James Watt: Portrait & steam engine

• Joseph Priestley: Laboratory equipment

• James Keir: Crystals

• William Withering: Foxglove (with words from his book An Account of the Foxglove and some of its Medical Uses)

The stones also each have a phase of the moon carved on them, with Watt's being the full moon.

The designs are by Steve Field and were executed by two stone masons, Malcolm Sier and Michael Scheurmann.

Based on an entry in Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia.

Along the Queslett Road from Booths Lane to the Aldridge road there was some 147 acres of quarry owned by the Queslett Sand and Gravel Company,

The Aldridge Road end of the site became the location for ASDA.

The quarry was used for land-fill which effectively created an artificial hill. This activity ceased in 1993.

Queslett Nature Reserve was created on part of the site. 52 hectares being owned by Birmingham Council being used as Public Open Space.

The quarry had been around for many years, this picture being taken in the 1920's when the Duke of Gloucester visited the area.

Queslett became the first midlands production centre in the early 1950's for Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd. In 1984 a modern ready-mix concrete plant was built in Birmingham, and the old plants in Bordesley and Queslett were closed.

The offices are were used by a firm of solicitors which were converted into a new medical centre which opened in October 2016

The site of the offices of the Queslett Quarry there is a two story office block in 0.95 acres of land.

This was used as a solicitors office but was available for sale in July 2013.

The Queslett Road starts at the Scott Arms junction and then heads for Sutton Coldfield.

Shortly beyond the Scott Arms junction is Sundial Lane. Here is the centre of the B43 postal area. Originally Sundial farm existed here before the area was developed. A new development of flats, Jonfield Gardens, is next on the site that was previously a garage and vehicle showroom.

The road then goes downward,passing one of the original lodges to Great Barr Hall, the junction to Whitecrest, and Holly Wood before diving under the M6 motorway. Before the motorway some green space here is being auctioned as a series of lots with the intention of building houses should planning permission be allowed in the future.

After the Motorway bridge Sandwell becomes Walsall and we come upon the site of St. Margarets Hospital and Great Barr Hall where a major housing development is underway.

At the junction with Beacon Road there are a number of shops with the ASDA supermarket on Old Horns Crescent, opposite the Old Horns public house.