Geological Sites | Leeds
| Bradford | Calderdale
| Kirklees | Wakefield
 STATUS: Local Geological Site
OTHER DESIGNATIONS:
COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTRICT: Calderdale
OS GRID REF SE 017 162
OS 1:50,000 Landranger 110 Sheffield and Huddersfield
OS 1:25,000 Explorer OL 21 South Pennines
BGS 1:50,000 Sheet 77 Huddersfield (Solid and Drift)
FIRST DESIGNATED by West Yorkshire LGS Group in 1996
MOST RECENT SURVEY West Yorkshire Geology Trust October 2007
DESIGNATION SHEET UPDATED August 2009
SITE DESCRIPTION:
An extensive exposure of Upper Carboniferous Lower Kinderscout Grit is
revealed in a
300m long vertical quarry face. The face shows massive cross-bedding,
which indicate
the size of the deltaic rivers in which the Upper Carboniferous sandstones
were
deposited.
 HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATIONS:
There are masons’ marks on the faces and a large tunnel which may
have been excavated
to extract the best sandstone, etc. The Huddersfield and Halifax memoir
(details below)
1930 p182 comments on the value of the Kinderscout Grit for constructional
use. It was
used for reservoir embankments, where large blocks of stone were required
and was
worked by the Corporation Waterworks Departments when needed.
More recently,
the site was used as a batching plant for making concrete for the M62,
so
most of it is floored with concrete.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE:
The geological value is high, as the rocks and structures are clearly
visible. This makes it
suitable for primary level upwards. The site contains a wide range
of sedimentary
structures with two quarry faces at right angles to each other. It
is an ideal site for
sketching and measuring dip of beds and cross bedding.
AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS:
The quarry has a moorland setting, with steep drops to Booth Wood Reservoir
on the
south side.
ACCESS AND SAFETY:
Access is through a gate off the A672 which at the moment is kept
locked. There is a
large concreted area in front of the quarry that would provide
plenty of parking. Hard
hats should be worn if the quarry face is approached, although
the face seems to be stable
at present. The slope to Booth Wood Reservoir would need to be
fenced off, if the site
was made more accessible to the public. It would be possible for
it to be made
wheelchair accessible. For some years the quarry had peregrine
falcons nesting each
summer and the quarry was opened to the general public, supervised
by the RSPB. Twite
nest close to the quarry. The needs of these breeding birds must
remain paramount. At
present, the quarry face is used for climbing.
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