Description and History of Site:-
Skipton Rock is a natural (eastern) extension of the older Haw Bank Quarry but it is much wider being c. 500m in length east-west by c. 200m in width. Like Haw Bank the beds are very steeply dipping. It had the usual crushing and screening and tar-coating plant and was despatching stone products as far as Glasgow.The plant that remains in the quarry relates to later operations. The company operating Haw bank was incorporated as the Skipton Rock Co. Ltd in 1895 though they were still working Haw Bank and had yet to migrate eastwards into what later became known as Skipton Rock Quarry. It is difficult to separate the two out and to fix precise dates, but the year 1930 probably marks the point where the development of a new strategy led to expansion of the quarry as it is seen now. Canal transport was very quickly abandoned and the rail link northwards to Embsay station became the main route out until road transport took over completely after World War II. By 1954 the site was sending out 1060 tonnes per day of which half was tarmacadam. New plant was installed in 1964 in a major drive to mechanise and modernise operations. In 1968 the company was bought out by the Hargreaves Group and in 1970 it installed yet more plant to rework waste piles that had been ignored before then. In 1980 Tilcon bought Hargreaves out as they were keen to find a replacement for their quarry at Lothersdale (qv) which was running out of reserves. However, operations at Skipton Rock were run down three years later and ceased altogether in 1994.

Since then the quarry has continued to have quarry connections with Tarmac having a depot here selling aggregates and sand and gravel, all brought in and crushed here; Hanson having a ready-mixed concrete plant ; and Scania having a major depot and workshop.

Further Reading and References:-
Johnson, D. 2010. Limestone industries of the Yorkshire Dales. Stroud: Amberley, pp. 92-97, 216, 224.
Johnson, D. 2016. Quarrying in the Yorkshire Pennines. Stroud: Amberley, pp. 25, 68, 92.

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Key Words :- disused limestone quarry

Viewing the Site :- a public footpath cuts across the west end of the quarry giving views into the quarry, and it can be seen from a distance from Embsay

Address :- A 59, Embsay, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6AB
Grid Ref :- SE 012 531
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.973966 , Long -1.983194
Local Authority :- Craven District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Site Dates :- pre 1930 - 1994
Record Date :- 17 January 2018

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