Description and History of Site:-
This very deep quarry is in two discrete parts, linked by a tunnel. The northern section now has a deep lake and is a wildlife haven; the southern has been landscaped and is a caravan park. All infrastructure has long since gone but the impressive battery of limekilns has been restored to good order and is a feature of the caravan park. The kiln battery has three sub-rectangular bowls access from a ramp at the rear which has been removed and each bowl is lined with firebrick. Each bowl has two draw arches of ornate design and each draw arch has three eyes (for shovelling lime out). The owner of the quarry when the battery was built went to a lot of expense to create something much more than a merely functional edifice. It is first known from a trade directory of 1840 when Thomas Metcalfe was burning lime in the western part of the total quarry area. The OS First Edition 6-inch map, published in 1856, marks twin kilns in existence with a rail spur from the Wensleydale line but these had already been demolished by then and replaced by the present magnificent battery which bears a datestone 'MW & Co. 1856'. The W may stand for Ward or Wood. The old rail spur was taken up and realigned to the new battery.

In 1872 the Harmby Lime Co. operated the site and extended the quarry northwards through the tunnel to create what was described in 1890 as being 'shorn of its picturesqueness by quarrying operations carried on in the rock for lime burning'. It later came under the control of Harmby Limestone Quarries Ltd.

In quarry returns for 1909 it was listed as being operated by Siddall Brothers and later by the Leyburn
Stone and Macadam Co. Ltd, incorporated in 1924.

The labour force peaked in 1911 at 75. This company was bought out by David Wood & Co of Yeadon in 1954 though Harmby had ceased production in 1952 when the crushing plant broke down. Though the lease on Harmby was renewed in 1953, it did not resume operations.

Further Reading and References:-
Johnson, D. Limestone industries of the Yorkshire Dales. Amberley, 2010, pp. 68, 198-99, 224, 235.
Johnson, D. Quarrying in the Yorkshire Pennines: an illustrated history. Amberley, 2016. p. 7.

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Key Words :- disused limestone quarry

Viewing the Site :- The southern quarry is now a caravan site; the northern quarry can be viewed from above from a public road

Address :- Cow Close Lane, Harmby, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SE 12539 90203
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.307277 , Long -1.808796
Local Authority :- Richmondshire District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site disused - but otherwise substantially intact
Site Dates :- 1840 - 1952
Record Date :- 23 December 2017

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