Geological Sites | Leeds
| Bradford | Calderdale
| Kirklees | Wakefield
 STATUS: RIGS
OTHER DESIGNATIONS:
COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTRICT: Bradford
OS GRID REF. SE 025 369
OS SHEET 1:50,000 Landranger 104 Leeds and Bradford
OS SHEET: 1:25,000 OL 21 South Pennines
BGS Geological 1:50,000 Sheet 69 Bradford (Solid and Drift Edition)
FIRST DESIGNATED by West Yorkshire RIGS Group in 1996
DATE OF MOST RECENT SURVEY Visited November 2007 by West Yorkshire Geology
Trust
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION produced by Neil Aitkenhead
SITE DESCRIPTION
A gently dipping section of Upper Carboniferous sandstones and shales
is exposed in a 5m high quarry face. The sandstones contain well-preserved
Stigmaria and other plant fossils. A 3m high sandstone face on the
north side of the quarry has evidence of faulting. The shales include
a thin coal seam and a grey fireclay beneath it, lying on top of a
thick sandstone bed. There are some quarried stones which have been
left at the top of the quarry on the north side and these have some
interesting features, including many plant fossils.
The quarry has been largely infilled, but there is a marshy pool which
is of ecological importance.
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:
The Bradford and Skipton Memoir (1953) p150 mentions that the top grit
of the group in Dimples quarry was quarried for ashlar building stones
and for pitching (roadstone).
 EDUCATIONAL VALUE:
This is an excellent educational site, as it contains a range of sedimentary
rocks including a thin coal. It is suitable for demonstrating dip
measurements, sedimentary structures and differential weathering.
Plant fossils can
be found at this site and in surrounding tips of quarried stone.
The nearby quarry at West End (SE 020 364) can be visited to observe
trough
cross bedded sandstones. On the north side of the site there is a
slickensided sandstone face, which indicates minor faulting.
AESTHETIC
CHARACTERISTICS:
The site is located within Penistone Hill Country Park, within walking
distance of Stanbury and Haworth. There are panoramic views across
moorland towards the north and west.
ACCESS AND SAFETY:
The site has very good access, with a car park in the quarry off
Dimples Lane. The main face is easy to see from a wheelchair,
but it is not
possible to get close to any of the rocks, because of the scree
slopes and trees
below the faces.
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