Geological Sites | Leeds
| Bradford | Calderdale
| Kirklees | Wakefield
 STATUS: RIGS
OTHER DESIGNATIONS:
COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTRICT: Kirklees
OS 1:50,000 Landranger 110 Sheffield and Huddersfield
OS 1:25,000 Explorer 288 Bradford and Huddersfield
BGS 1:50,000 SHEET 86 Glossop
FIRST DESIGNATED by West Yorkshire RIGS Group in 1996
DATE OF MOST RECENT SURVEY
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION produced by Ian Chisholm
SITE DESCRIPTION:
There are five sites of interest around the village of Brockholes. The
rocks are Upper Carboniferous and span the end of the Namurian (Millstone
Grit) and the beginning of the Westphalian (Coal Measures). The Namurian
Rough Rock sandstones form the high cliffs on which most of Brockholes
is built, while the Lower Coal Measure rocks are found behind the village,
exposed in the railway cutting and in the stream beds in Round Wood.
Rock types include massive sandstones, shale, coal and fossiliferous
marine bands.
1) Tor Rocks (SE 1512 1106) - Large quarry face in Rough Rock, about
10m high. There are massive beds, up to 3.1m thick with uniform bedding
at the top. The jointing is irregular, but well spaced with some joints
being very large. Mentioned in the Geological Memoir 1933 (see reference
below) p 73 and p178
2) Tor Rocks (SE 1518 1099) - Very weathered faces in Rough Rock, well
jointed and bedded with some load structures and massive current-bedding.
3) (1525 1098) – 4m sandstone face in Rough Rock with bedding
and some current bedding.
4) Brockholes, St. Georges Churchyard (SE 1516 1104) - Gravestones of
varied ages and variety of materials, could be used for a weathering
exercise.
5) Round Wood (SE 158 106) – there are several stream beds which
expose shale with marine bands, for instance at (SE 1585 1062).
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:
1) Tor Rocks - may have been quarried between 1876 and 1894. There are
records in the local trade directories of Moss Bros. quarrying in Brockholes.
5) Round Wood. There is a concrete post in Round Wood, close to the railway
bridge and the footpath, marking the site of a coal shaft.
 EDUCATIONAL VALUE:
This site has been used to show young people some fossils in shales and
could be used to teach sandstones, using the building stones in Brockholes
and in the headstones in the churchyard. The sites can be connected
together to show Carboniferous environments of deposition during this
period.
AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS:
The area behind the village is hilly and wooded, with several footpaths
cutting through. The higher paths have good views west into the Holme
valley.
ACCESS:
1. Tor Rocks (SE 1512 1106) - Quarry face behind workshop overlooking
main road, park near
shop and walk around on to main road towards Huddersfield.
2. Tor Rocks (SE 1518 1099) - Follow face around to south-east below
the church. Path access is next to the shop.
3. (SE 1525 1098) - Follow path towards church yard to the rock face,
behind the small car park.
5. Round Wood (SE 1585 1062) – Take footpath from old railway line
towards Thurstonland across fields to reach Round Wood. Follow right
hand tributary in Round Wood, to small waterfall in the gully on the
right (about 20m beyond the bridge with footpath). The sites are across
field paths so are not accessible for wheel chairs.
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