Brockholes and Round Wood, Brockholes

Geological Sites | Leeds | Bradford | Calderdale | Kirklees | Wakefield

STATUS: Local Geological Site
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 LGS Group in 1996
DATE OF MOST RECENT SURVEY January 2009
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION produced by Ian Chisholm
DESIGNATION SHEET UPDATED October 2009

SITE DESCRIPTION: There are several 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) Car park next to village hall (SE 1525 1098) – 4m sandstone face in Rough Rock with bedding and some current bedding.

4) Round Wood (SE 158 106) – there are several stream beds which expose shale with marine bands, for instance at (SE 1585 1062).

HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS: Tor Rocks may have been quarried between 1876 and 1894. There are records in the local trade directories of Moss Bros. quarrying in Brockholes. In Round Wood there is a concrete post, 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. Car park by Village Hall (SE 1525 1098) – Continue on footpath to village hall, or drive up lane to church. Village Hall is on the right.

4. 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.