Geological Sites | Leeds
| Bradford | Calderdale
| Kirklees | Wakefield
 STATUS: RIGS
OTHER DESIGNATIONS:
COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTRICT: Calderdale
OS GRID REF. SE 052 238
OS 1:50,000 Landranger 104 Leeds and Bradford
OS 1:25,000 Explorer OL 21 South Pennines
BGS 1:50,000 Sheet 77 Huddersfield (Solid and Drift)
FIRST DESIGNATED by West Yorkshire RIGS Group in 1996
MOST RECENT SURVEY by West Yorkshire Geology Trust October 2007
SITE DESCRIPTION:
Exposures of Upper Carboniferous East Carlton Grit (Scotland Flags) are
revealed in two quarry faces overlooking the Calder Valley. The characteristic
flaggy bedding of the strata is seen towards the top of the exposure,
with sand bodies and deformation features forming the lower areas of
the site. A complete cross bedding set is visible near the top of one
of the quarry faces. Two types of plant fossils can be found in blocks
of fallen rock.
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:
In the Huddersfield and Halifax memoir 1930 the quarry is recorded as
exposing 45 feet of medium-grained massive sandstone, which suggests
that it was still working at that time.
 EDUCATIONAL VALUE:
This is a good site for higher level students to study and interpret
channel sand bodies and soft sediment deformational features. It is
described in Wignall and Maynard (reference below, p138) as an excellent
exposure of the central 15m of the Scotland Flags developed in a river
sand body.
The relationship between the underlying strata and topography is revealed
in the stepped valley sides of this part of Calderdale
AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS:
The quarry is in woodland, which does not obscure the rock faces, but
the views to the north across the Calder valley are limited. In some
places the base of the quarry is covered with debris thrown over from
the cemetery above.
ACCESS AND SAFETY:
There is a small car park at the entrance to the cemetery. Access to
the site is along the tarmac path to the east of the cemetery, which
curves to the west into a wide footpath through the woods, which could
be used by wheelchairs. The quarry faces are at the top of the slope,
so do not take the footpaths which lead down to the valley floor. The
site can also be reached by a footpath from the valley floor.
The slopes surrounding the site are steep and slippery and care is required.
The site is overgrown in places but the rock faces are accessible. Hard
hats should be worn if the face is approached, though there are plenty
of fallen blocks in front of the face which are available for close study.
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