The Quarries Thread

[redefined_cycles]

Right this one's for Shaf's eyes only after he foolishly showed a minor quarry interest the other day. Biiiig mistake . Everyone else move along in an orderly fashion please.

Went back to the same area again to double-check the potential Spot.



I seem to have "Done A Cummings" and ended up 100 miles away for no good reason, or I'm in some space wormhole to the the Peak District:





"Some sand". Actually five different rare flavours in this quarry Shaf, including the super-rare white stuff.



The wheels turn, where they stop nobody knows.



One of only two examples of remnants of the old sand railway system:



Oy, stop peeping! I can see you. This was only meant for Shaf. I did warn you .

Off we go Reg... Some others might add their own lovely local quarries in the mix. I certainly have 2 that I plans to understand a bit more now. One being where we originally understood that mtbing isn't 'the canals towpath'...

Lovely thread... Thanks for opening it

[RIP]

[redefined_cycles]

Was hoping to have got myself some decent quarry by now but this 'quarry' lark is no joke is it. Planned to get out on my 'dont bw stupid' ride and 10 miles in look in OS/Viewranger maps to see any signs of used/disused quarries. Out of respect for Reg' thread I thought best not to share any pics other than quarry merch.



Seven miles in, opens my maps and not a quarry in spitting distance (wouldn't really spit nor expect one to be so close). Bit of G maps and mulling over OS maps later decides I need more help and welcome, 'the browser'. Well, guess what, looks like these stone spotters have a webiste and wholse subject of their own. G-ology it seems. Looks like google have got their foot in this cake already too...

http://www.wyorksgeologytrust.org/siteswakefield.html will do a bit more research bwfore setting out on another quarry finding mission, or just head to the two that I know already. Here's some quarry yield though til then...

sorry bout that little slither of greenery

[RIP]

I have a tiny smidgen of suspicion Shaf, just intuition that's all, and I could be wrong, that this may turn out to be a somewhat, how shall we say, niche thread on a niche forum .

But of course you and I know - that that's (*) their loss eh? .

(*) "that that's" is a curious grammatical construct come to think of it. Hmm.

[Cyclepeasant]

Lots of childhood memories on this website.
Used to cycle to sundon and Barton pits. They were sort of still active. Used get chased out by police occasionally. But great places to have fun. Arlesey pits was another.
Not quite in the Welsh or Cornwall scale of quarry ,but fun all the same.
Took the train ride at Leighton buzzard many years ago. Interesting stiff about the quarry there. Unfortunately not on the bike.
A few potential bivvie stops around!

[redefined_cycles]

Now then... Look what I've found. Seems it was there all along but the icon for the quarry just missed my eye as it said it in plain 'englaterre' (can you tell I've taken delivery of a gift from a B&B in Spain).



If we look carefully under the Shepley Dyke writing, its right there. Marshalls possibly that is but most importantly ita dissected straight through by my 'Dont be Stupid'local loop. get some pics for ya this week hopefully Reg

[sean_iow]

I have a tiny smidgen of suspicion Shaf, just intuition that's all, and I could be wrong, that this may turn out to be a somewhat, how shall we say, niche thread on a niche forum .

I'm always looking for ride ideas, quarry hunting is a good one

[RIP]

Shaf you missed the other quarry down the valley!! Unbelievable. And here's me thinking you were a fellow afficionado. What an amateur mistake to make!

.

[redefined_cycles]

Reg... you're right. Am an embarrassment to the Quarry Spotting Community (QSC). But I might have redeemed and managed to find a shorter ride too. Who knows, might spot 2 quarries in just the one ride





On a serious note... If only there was a simple way yo categorise them all so we're not working double time and respostting...

[RIP]

There's a couple of interesting looking shafts there too (shafts for Shaf ). See, once you start this crazy game it's impossible to stop.

I can give up any time I want. I can. Honest. I'm in complete control of it.

[psling]

Oh dear, I can hardly move a couple of hundred metres in any direction here without falling into a quarry! Part of the land I currently reside on is over an underground quarry and I'm surrounded by what we call locally "scowles" where the rock was quarried to smelt the iron out. We may have missed the chance of your FoD invitational this year Reg but the old workings will still be here next year

[RIP]

Yes I'm really looking forward to that Peter. Shame you're not living in France because I have a vague memory that, unlike here, your mineral rights extend all the way to the centre of the earth, and we could have started digging when I visit. Coal, ironstone, limestone; you've got the lot. Wasn't there even a gold mine at Wigpool?

Mrs Perrin reminds me that a disproportionate (in her view) amount of time on all our holidays was spent nosing around at various excavations. Many's the time I'd stop mid-walk, having spied some tenuous hummock, hole or gantry or something, and say "erm, just having a quick look over here, er, won't be a moment". "Not another one, Dad!". Half an hour (ish) later I'd return and they'd be sat eating sandwiches looking glum. Absolutely no idea what the problem was. Plenty of scenery to look at as well.

[psling]

Yes I'm really looking forward to that Peter. Shame you're not living in France because I have a vague memory that, unlike here, your mineral rights extend all the way to the centre of the earth, and we could have started digging when I visit. Coal, ironstone, limestone; you've got the lot. Wasn't there even a gold mine at Wigpool?

If you are born within 'the Hundred of St. Briavels' and work a year and a day in a mine then you can dig a mine anywhere within the Forest of Dean (although nowadays you need a mining licence and various permissions which makes it a lot more difficult to dig in someone else's back garden!).

Old gold mine? Yep, under Wigpool at Lea Bailey, an area we call Lea Line (old railway line). Owned now by the family that run the ironstone mines at Clearwell.

[The Cumbrian]

I used to climb with a lad who had an unhealthy interest in dank and hard to find quarries. He was obsessed with finding somewhere to do a new route, ignoring the fact that the reason that there were no climbs in those quarries was because they were damp, loose and had been used a toilet by both humans and animals for decades. This despite Cumbria having some of the finest climbing in England.

[redefined_cycles]

Yes I'm really looking forward to that Peter. Shame you're not living in France because I have a vague memory that, unlike here, your mineral rights extend all the way to the centre of the earth, and we could have started digging when I visit. Coal, ironstone, limestone; you've got the lot. Wasn't there even a gold mine at Wigpool?

Mrs Perrin reminds me that a disproportionate (in her view) amount of time on all our holidays was spent nosing around at various excavations. Many's the time I'd stop mid-walk, having spied some tenuous hummock, hole or gantry or something, and say "erm, just having a quick look over here, er, won't be a moment". "Not another one, Dad!". Half an hour (ish) later I'd return and they'd be sat eating sandwiches looking glum. Absolutely no idea what the problem was. Plenty of scenery to look at as well.

my kids hate me too (not that yours do you) as many a time I've tried taking em back to the Coal Mining Mesuem at Wakefield. Not sure what I like about the place except that (I think) its still free to get in...

[UnderTheRadars]

Today marked my first ride in 6 years that wasn’t just a ride to the pub an back. Needless to say I’m extremely unfit (but not an alchy!) so today is the start of my long road to some sort of fitness, and this thread gave me a good idea of visiting some quarry sites local to me.

First up is Gibbet Wood sandpit located right next to Roundhill sewage works (not too bad a smell in this heat). As the crow flies it’s about 3 miles from home, I’ve ridden past here for the last 25 years but never ventured in to the woods to see the pit.... This sign has always put me off (I’m a good boy)




However seeing friends post pictures up on FB over the years of the place I decided today was the day I was going take a look. All I can say is wow! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to come here. The place is obviously used by MX’ers and kids boozing/smoking, the amount of litter around was a shame to see, but if you ignore that you’re met with these views.






On to my next location, Lea Castle, the site of a proposed new quarry (see my final pic too) via the back lanes of South Staffordshire and Worcestershire, I could’ve taken pictures of the troglodyte dwellings of Kinver Edge and the Drakelow nuclear bunker ‘quarried’ out of the sandstone, but i cba.




A message we all should live by




By now the heat and lack of saddle time was getting to me, so on to my final location




I wanted to also include Norton Covert, a local geosite, an old sand and gravel pit, a place we used to head to instead of going to college to build jumps and hangout ... A visit to Quarry Bank for a picture with the town’s sign, and if I was feeling fresh, a ride up to Turners Hill quarry in Rowley Regis, but my legs and arse were saying........





Now for a cold one whilst thinking about a fat bike for use in Gibbet Woods

Map

[redefined_cycles]

@Reginald Perrin... Do we have a convert (I think we might do)...

Thanks for the writeup UtR

[UnderTheRadars]

And here’s a Shaft pic as I seemed to have missed that

[RIP]

Well 'Radars, that was a good read. One doffs one's helmet to you. Multiple quarries there. Not keen on StopTheQuarries though, ripe for defacement that is .

First time for 6 years? Again, good for you! So there you go Shaf, we knew it didn't we? That's the power of quarries and shafts! .

[UnderTheRadars]

Cheers! Yes the power of quarries got me out today, I’m already thinking about shafts (giggity) with some very long canal tunnels locally needing ventilation.... to the map!

(Map added to my post above so you have a clue to where I’ve been)

Edit.

Ooh 4 shafts and 2 quarries, I’ll see how my legs/arse feel tomorrow

[redefined_cycles]

And here’s a Shaft pic as I seemed to have missed that

But did you see some killler cows

[BigdummySteve]

And here’s a Shaft pic as I seemed to have missed that

Dam! beat me to it, he da man!

Just for the excellent funk wah pedal work.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q429AOpL_ds

[UnderTheRadars]

And here’s a Shaft pic as I seemed to have missed that

But did you see some killler cows

Can we stop adding extras on now I could’ve popped to see our herd of Longhorns today (whilst getting pictures of the Rockhouses at Kinver) They’re proper scary looking (but lovely docile) beasts

[RIP]

Reckon he's going for the longest thread title ever on the forum... goodness knows what comes next....

[UnderTheRadars]

We need a mod to lock his OP