# Three Quarries, Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire, September 2020



## HughieD (Sep 15, 2020)

*1. Background*
The Derbyshire village of Stoney Middleton located in the White Peak can be traced back to Roman times. It’s famous for its proximity to the plague village of Eyam and its location just due west of Middleton Dale meant it has also become a major centre for Peak District rock climbers. The valley of carboniferous limestone (calcium carbonate) has meant that Middleton Dale has been quarried for hundreds of years to produce lime and to provide stone for the construction industry. Stoney Middleton stone can be found in numerous important buildings including the nearby Chatsworth House, Windsor Castle, Houses of Parliament, and the Bank of England.

Early methods of quarrying were rudimentary and relied on manpower to split and break up the rocks with little mechanisation beyond a horse and cart. The use of gunpowder in blasting at the beginning of the 19th century significantly increased production and led to the established limestone quarrying as we know it today. Quarries like the ones in Stoney Middleton have led to the Peak District becoming Britain’s largest lime and limestone producer.

Gang of quarrymen at Goddard’s quarry:


goddards-quarry by HughieDW, on Flickr

There is also an extensive system of caves that are connected to old lead mine shafts.

*2. The Pictures*
We had a look round three old quarries that stand side by side near Stoney Middleton along the dale

(I) Goddard’s Quarry
The former Goddard's limestone quarry, now restored and returned to nature, is the closest of the three quarries to Stoney Middleton. During the sixties, the main road was frequently closed to traffic while blasting took place in Goddard’s Quarry, which is currently the property of R.M.C.Roadstone Ltd. It’s popular with climbers and the smallest of the three. No buildings remain, just the long main quarry face with its three, layered galleries and its distinctive red rocks at the bottom of the quarry.


Stoney 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9042 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9046 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9047 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9043 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9044 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Not sure what this purple mineral is here:


Stoney 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

But I think this fossil is a brachiopod:


img9049 by HughieDW, on Flickr

(II) Darlton Quarry
Opposite Lovers Leap Garage, this is the middle of the three quarries. This is the only one of the three quarries that has a few buildings remaining, albeit sealed tight. It was recently on the market with estate agent Fisher German but am unsure if it sold.


img9002 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9012 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9017 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9016 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9008 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The two galleried main wall:


img9003 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9011 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The former quarry buildings, all sealed tight:


img9010 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9007 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A spade or a ******* shovel?


img9006 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9019 by HughieDW, on Flickr

(III) Hidden Quarry (formerly Darlton 2)

Not much info on this place. This was the largest quarry of the three. It has 68 climbing routes spread over seven different areas of the quarry.


img9021 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The impressive three galleried quarried cliff is popular with the climbing fraternity:


Stoney 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9023 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Stoney 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9025 by HughieDW, on Flickr

View from the first gallery of the cliff:


Stoney 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9028 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9029 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9034 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9036 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9039 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## Newage (Sep 16, 2020)

That’s different mate.

Cheers newage


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## Richard Davies (Sep 18, 2020)

I've passed though the village many times on family visits but near had the chance to see what was there.


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## fluffy5518 (Sep 23, 2020)

Nice report mate - i pressume there were never many buildings on these sites in the first place ... Unlike North Wales .. !


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## HughieD (Sep 23, 2020)

Cheers mate. Never occurred to me to look round here but looked good on Google Maps so gave it a bash...


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## Historybuff2020 (Oct 5, 2020)

fluffy5518 said:


> Nice report mate - i pressume there were never many buildings on these sites in the first place ... Unlike North Wales .. !



I used to work at the Darlton quarry
in the 90's, there were quite a few buildings there at one time, brick plant ect.


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## Roderick (Dec 17, 2020)

I lived not too far from there for twenty odd years. When Goddard's quarry was still in operation I won the chance to "fire a particularly big shot" there in a charity auction. I turned up in the morning for a safety briefing but when they found out I had a bit of explosive history and professional firework experience they sent me out with the loading and fusing team for some hands on. It was fascinating, they first computer model the face entering how much rock they want to remove and how it wants to fracture and the software produces a drilling/loading plan. After the drilling team had bored a pattern of holes we went round lowering big sausages of explosives with fuses down the holes ensuring they went right to the bottom. The sausages come in a range of bangs from loud to very very loud. Until then I hadn't realized they put more bang at the bottom, firing it slightly in advance to push the rock far enough from the face so the layer above can fall just behind it and the top layer can fall at the back. It is obviously easier / safer to remove the rock with a digger when it's not in a big high pile..
When I actually fired it later in the afternoon the whole earth seemed to rock even quite a way back from the face. - A grand day out!


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## Graham49d (Feb 20, 2021)

Roderick said:


> I lived not too far from there for twenty odd years. When Goddard's quarry was still in operation I won the chance to "fire a particularly big shot" there in a charity auction. I turned up in the morning for a safety briefing but when they found out I had a bit of explosive history and professional firework experience they sent me out with the loading and fusing team for some hands on. It was fascinating, they first computer model the face entering how much rock they want to remove and how it wants to fracture and the software produces a drilling/loading plan. After the drilling team had bored a pattern of holes we went round lowering big sausages of explosives with fuses down the holes ensuring they went right to the bottom. The sausages come in a range of bangs from loud to very very loud. Until then I hadn't realized they put more bang at the bottom, firing it slightly in advance to push the rock far enough from the face so the layer above can fall just behind it and the top layer can fall at the back. It is obviously easier / safer to remove the rock with a digger when it's not in a big high pile..
> When I actually fired it later in the afternoon the whole earth seemed to rock even quite a way back from the face. - A grand day out!


Hi

I was Quarry Manager late 90's and remember having to organize the prize if that is the one you did.
It was very enjoyable. I did the charging/shotfiring a lot of the time but not that day. It was the best job in the world on a sunny day and the worst job on a wet cold winter day. Once started it really had to go on. Glad you enjoyed it and remembered it. As something you do on a regular basis perhaps you dont appreciate it there was always a bit of a thrill when pushing the button followed by relief that all went well although the loader driver never thought it was small enough!!!


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## Roderick (Feb 20, 2021)

Graham49d said:


> Hi
> 
> I was Quarry Manager late 90's and remember having to organize the prize if that is the one you did.
> It was very enjoyable. I did the charging/shotfiring a lot of the time but not that day. It was the best job in the world on a sunny day and the worst job on a wet cold winter day. Once started it really had to go on. Glad you enjoyed it and remembered it. As something you do on a regular basis perhaps you dont appreciate it there was always a bit of a thrill when pushing the button followed by relief that all went well although the loader driver never thought it was small enough!!!


I remember it very well, it's the sort of thing that stands out when you look back through your life. It would have been late 90s and was probably arranged through my old mate Mike Hibbs (sadly deceased) who you probably remember from those days too. Well thank you again, I doubt in these nanny state times people would dare send out a new boy with a truck load of explosive....


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## RoLo (Mar 7, 2021)

Roderick said:


> I remember it very well, it's the sort of thing that stands out when you look back through your life. It would have been late 90s and was probably arranged through my old mate Mike Hibbs (sadly deceased) who you probably remember from those days too. Well thank you again, I doubt in these nanny state times people would dare send out a new boy with a truck load of explosive....


I'm sad to learn of your mate Mike (I knew him as Mick) Hibbs passing, assuming it's the same one - Goff Hibbs' son? I no longer live in the area, and didn't know Goddard's Quarry had closed. My family were the former owners, my dad (William, known as "Bill") one of the last member of the family who worked there. Can you tell me when it closed, please?


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## Roderick (Mar 7, 2021)

RoLo said:


> I'm sad to learn of your mate Mike (I knew him as Mick) Hibbs passing, assuming it's the same one - Goff Hibbs' son? I no longer live in the area, and didn't know Goddard's Quarry had closed. My family were the former owners, my dad (William, known as "Bill") one of the last member of the family who worked there. Can you tell me when it closed, please?


I never cease to be astonished who turns up here, I'll PM you.


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