Description and History of Site:-
Within an extensive system of lead hushes there are natural outcrops of chert within the Yoredale Limestone which were worked by opencast methods as well as three levels driven into the hillside. Stone blocks were undercut and prized loose using bars and some dressing, using the plug and feather method, was done underground by men who referred to themselves as quarrymen rather than miners. Stone slabs were hand-pushed on flat bogies from the working faces to the exterior dressing floors (NY9884 0283 and NY9881 0286). A self-acting incline sent finished products, called pavers and runners, down to the main Arkengarthdale road. A sheerleg crane at the incline top loaded the products onto incline carts. Men were paid on a piecework basis only being paid for stone that met the requisite standards. Stone was taken from the road to Richmond station first by horse-drawn carts then by traction engines and later by motor lorry. The old lead mining smithy building (NY9876 0279) was brought back into use by the quarrymen as a cabin, tool store and simple workshop. In 1940 13 people were employed here, at its end only 7. The industry grew to supply pavers and runners for crushing gear used to crush flint for making porcelain and white tableware. The runners crushed the flint which was spread on the horizontal pavers. The market collapsed in 1950 as cheaper imports flooded in, bringing an end to the quarrying here and elsewhere.

Further Reading and References:-
Tyson, L O. 'The Arkengarthdale Mines'. British Mining No. 53, 1995, pp. 88-95.
Jackson, K. 'Chert quarrying in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale'. British Mining No. 90, 2010, pp. 121-40.
Johnson, D. Quarrying in the Yorkshire Pennines. Amberley, 2016, pp. 31, 32, 80.

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Key Words :- chert opencast underground mines quarries

Viewing the Site :- Open Access under the CRoW Act 2000.

Address :- Reeth, North Yorkshire, DL11 6RU
Grid Ref :- NY 986 028
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.420637 , Long -2.023083
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 :- 1922 - 1950
Record Date :- 6 February 2017

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