Description and History of Site:-
This is a single-bench limestone quarry, 800m east-west by 200-400m north-south, linked by an underbridge to Wensley Quarry to the west. All processing plant was sited at the east end of the quarry, either side of the unclassified road though much now lies hidden by undergrowth. Within woodland on the southern edge are the imperceptible remains of two small pre-1850 lime kilns. Within the quarry the concrete supports for a conveyor belt system are extant as far east as the minor road and there are remains of a stone cabin and part of the aerial-ropeway top station; all other infrastructure has long since been removed. Leonard Airey, stone mason and quarry master, ran the quarry in the 1890s and by 1909 local farmer George Robinson was working it. Its real commercial life began in 1920 when the Wensley Lime Co. Ltd took up the lease to supply high-grade fluxing stone to its parent company's (Cargo Fleet Iron Co. Ltd) plant in Middlesbrough. Production increased rapidly with the introduction of the heading blast system with one blast in 1930 bringing down enough stone to keep the breakers and fillers occupied for three months.

Crushed stone was moved from the processing plant by a 925m-long single-rope aerial system down to a rail spur near Wensley station below Tullis Cote. Initially, stone was transferred from working face to crushing plant on a rail track (part of which is still visible) with two locos running a shuttle service: at the east end, a raised gantry carried the track over the minor road to the plant area. In 1954 the lease was transferred to the South Durham Steel & Iron Co. Ltd, of Wellingborough, on liquidation of the Wensley company.In 1957 5he rail system was replaced by a 740m-long conveyor belt that ran from new crushing and screening plant at the west end of the quarry - Top Quarry as the men called it - just south of the underbridge (SE 06704 91660): this plant also served Wensley Quarry until it got its own plant.

By 1964 the two quarries were run in tandem and output and workforce increased commensurately but in 1970 problems emerged after nationalisation and production was slashed here in favour of British Steel's own Redmire Quarry. In 1971 the quarry was shut down.

Further Reading and References:-
Johnson, D. 2010. Limestone industries of the Yorkshire Dales. Stroud: Amberley, pp. 197, 201, 204-05, 207, 213, 235, 238.
Johnson, D. 2016. Quarrying in the Yorkshire Pennines. An illustrated history. Stroud: Amberley, p, 71.

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Key Words :- limestone quarry disused

Viewing the Site :- visible from the 'Tank Road' on the north side of the quarry and from the unclassified road running north from the village. No public access within the quarry.

Address :- Preston-under-Scar, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 4NL
Grid Ref :- SE 06381 91894
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.322587 , Long -1.903400
Local Authority :- Richmondshire District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site derelict - some buildings remaining
Site Dates :- pre-1850 - 1971
Record Date :- 8 January 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © David Johnson