Description and History of Site:-
All infrastructure within the quarry has long gone and all that remains are upper parts of the working faces as much was infilled and landscaped as part of the country park, and blocks scattered about some of which show plug and feather and tooling marks. It exploited Woodhouse Flags for dimension stone. Dog holes in some abandoned blocks outside the quarry hole show that cranes (steam-powered) were used to lift stone blocks out of the quarry using chain. Much of the quarry faces was baring material which had to be removed to get to the good quality beds. An unusual method was used - four men joggled a long pole that had been rammed between bottom beds. Another man stood on the quarry rim watched for cracks opening up parallel to the edge. At a certain width of opening he would shout a warning, the men would run to safety and the whole mass came crashing down - it used minimal effort and no cost other than labour. Outside the quarry hole, a series of steam cranes lifted blocks from within the quarry across the dressing floor in stages, and finished blocks were moved away on rail track. It is known to have been opened up c. 1840 and that it closed down during the 1960s.

Further Reading and References:-
Johnson, D. Quarrying in the Yorkshire Pennines. Amberley, 2016, pp. 44-45, 69, 82.

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Key Words :- flagstone quarry disused

Viewing the Site :- Open Access under the CRoW Act 2000, part of Penistone Hill Country Park

Address :- Haworth, West Yorkshire, BD22 9RH
Grid Ref :- SE 0207 3641
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.823957 , Long -1.970036
Local Authority :- City of Bradford
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Earthworks only
Site Dates :- c. 1840 - 1960s
Record Date :- 11 February 2017

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