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Description and History of Site:-

It is a large quarry, with a single face cut 30m into the natural scar, and a surface area of c. 100m north-south by c. 70m east-west. It is now largely wooded and overgrown and difficult to see.It is known to have been working in the 1850s producing crushed stone for local use. Later on the lease was taken on by a partnership of Fred Ward and Walter Scott, trading as the Downholme Park Limestone Quarry Co until 1930 when the two went their separate ways with ward remaining at Downholme Park. Its machinery was old and inefficient and he rarely made a profit. In 1931 this site was amalgamated with the Leyburn Stone and Macadam Co. Ltd and Downholme flourished though in 1941 work ceased here as it became impossible to find men to work the quarry and it remained mothballed until 1949 when it was reopened, but only for two years when Ward gave it up for good. In 1959 a Richmond builder took out a five-year lease but only to extract already blasted and stockpiled stone.

Further Reading and References:-

Johnson, D. 2010. Limestone industries of the Yorkshire Dales. Stroud: Amberley, pp. 197, 213.

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Key Words :- disused limestone quarry

Viewing the Site :- From below in a large roadside car parking area, formerly part of the quarry area

Address :- A6108, Downholme, Richmond, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SE 115 996
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.391753 , Long -1.824405
Local Authority :- Richmondshire District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Historic England List No - NorthYorks,
Site Condition :- Earthworks only
Site Dates :- pre 1850 - 1951
Contributor :- David Johnson - 9 January 2018

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