Local Quarries, Mines & Pits



Contents:

General points

Commercial stone quarrying is recorded in 1341.

Before the industrial revolution, stone was worked by hand – using wedges and crowbars – and by chemical methods – using quicklime – and frost and ice to split the stone in the quarry.

Many of the early sources were simple stones which were exposed by weathering and agriculture, and natural outcrops.

Elland flags have been quarried in several areas of Calderdale. Thakstones were recorded in the 15th century.

From the 18th century, there were many stone quarries in the district where the local York stone sandstone and millstone grit are extracted.

The industry reached its high point in the 19th century when the need for more mills and more housing – and the implied churches, public buildings, bridges, and road – demanded an efficient stone industry. The need to move the stone then led to a need for better turnpike roads.

In 1822, there were 22 quarries in the Brighouse area – of which 11 were in Southowram.

Many of these quarries are still in operation today, east of the geological fault from Ogden to Salterhebble along which the Hebble Brook flows, including – Hipperholme, Lightcliffe, Hove Edge, Northowram, and Southowram where Marshalls produce their famous Yorkshire Stone.

There was also some quarrying at Mount Tabor.

The local stone has been widely-used for building and paving.

Small stones – such as would be of no use as flags or for other purposes – were often crushed to make gravel.

In the 18th century, brick became popular and was used for some buildings such as Square Chapel.

In the 1830s, representatives from Toronto came to England to recruit stone masons and market gardeners which were in great demand in Canada. Many local workers emigrated about this time.

During the worldwide depression of the 1870s, a large number of local workers involved in the stone and quarrying industry emigrated to the US and elsewhere.

See Baring, Billy Wobble, Cliffs, Delver, Dual economy, Elland stone, Gomersall & Bentley, Gravel working, Great Acre Quarry, Southowram, Hove Edge Quarry, Judd wall, Kinderscout Grit, Kitchen & Carter, Master-taker, Maude & Dyson, Millstone grit, Pillar & Stall, Plug & feathers, Ring the gavelock, Sandstone, Stone Dresser, Stone miner, Thakstone and York stone

Other Local Quarries & Collieries


Ainley Main Colliery
Angel Quarry, Halifax

Bankwell Colliery, Cornholme
Barker Royd Quarry, Southowram
Blackburn & Sugden Colliery, Shelf
Boothtown Colliery
Bowood Quarry, Triangle
Bradley Quarry
Brierly Hill Quarry, Godley
Joseph Briggs & Sons

Castle Quarry, Ripponden
Cinder Hills Colliery, Southowram
Clock Face Quarry, Barkisland
Cockhill Farm Colliery, Shelf
Conway Stone Quarries
Copy Pit Colliery, Todmorden
Cote Hill Quarry, Warley
Cromwell Bottom Delph, Southowram
Crow Nest Park, Lightcliffe

Dam Head Colliery, Northowram
Delph End Quarry, Pecket Well

Eaves Top Quarry, Stainland

Fall Spring Wood Quarry, Stainland
Five Acre Quarries, Elland
Flat Head Quarry, Soyland
Ford Hill Colliery, Queensbury
Four Lane End Colliery, Shibden

Grange Hall Quarry, Brighouse
Greenhouse Quarry, Blackshawhead
Greenroyd Quarry, Mount Tabor
George Greenwood & Company

Halifax Building & Quarrying Company Limited
Halifax Coal Company
Halliday's
Sir  Thomas Hanbury
Hartshead Colliery
Hell Hole Quarry, Hebden Bridge
Heptonstall Quarry
Highfield Coal Pit, Southowram
Highroad Well Moor
Hollins Estate Quarry, Sowerby Bridge
Hollins Grove Quarry
Holmes & Company
R. Holt & Company
Hunter Hill Quarries, Wainstalls

S. Illingworth & Sons
Intake Quarry, Norland

Jail Hole Quarry, Langfield


Knowlwood Delph Quarries, Walsden

Lane Top Quarry, Norland
Law Hill Quarry, Stansfield
Limed House Soft Bed Colliery, Northowram
Listerwick Colliery, Shibden
Lob Mill Delph, Todmorden
Long Wall Quarry, Elland
Lutz & Armitage

Maiden Cross Colliery, Todmorden
Marsh Quarry, Sowerby Bridge
Moor End Quarry, Mount Tabor
Mount Skip Quarry, Old Town
Mountain End Colliery, Northowram

Nab End Quarry, Cragg Vale
Norwood Green Colliery

Ogden Kirk Quarries

Park Quarry, Pellon
Pinfold Quarries, Norland
Pinfold Quarry, Elland

Rake Bank Quarry, Mixenden
Rattenclough Quarry, Holmfield
Resting Hill Quarry, Highroad Well
Ringby Quarries
J. G. Robinson
Rock Edge Quarry, Old Town
Rushton Hill Quarries, Pellon

J. Savile & Company
Scotland Quarry, Midgley
Scout Quarry
Shibden Hall Colliery
Skircoat Moor Quarries, Halifax
Spring Bank Quarry, Mixenden
Springhill Quarry, Greetland
Stannary Quarry, Halifax
Stoodley Pike quarry
Storth Colliery, Elland
Swan Bank Colliery

Top o' th' Hill Delph, Northowram
Turgate Quarry, Norland

Upper Pule Quarry, Swalesmoor

Vicar Park Quarry, Pellon
Victoria Quarry, Elland

Wall Nook Quarry, Greetland
White Rock Quarry, Sowood
Julius Whitehead & Company
Wicken Hill Quarry, Cragg Vale
 



© Malcolm Bull 2022
Revised 14:38 / 14th September 2022 / 12469

Page Ref: MMS214

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