Pule Hill Quarry, Marsden

West Yorkshire Local Geological Site

Pule Hill STATUS: Local Geological Site
OTHER DESIGNATIONS: Site of Special Scientific Interest
COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTRICT: Kirklees
OS GRID REF: SE 032 108
OS 1:50,000 Landranger 110 Sheffield and Huddersfield
OS 1:25,000 Explorer OL 21 South Pennines
BGS 1:50,000 Sheet 86 Glossop
FIRST DESIGNATED by West Yorkshire LGS Group in 1996
DATE OF MOST RECENT SURVEY Visited in June 2007 by West Yorkshire Geology
Trust
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION produced by Ian Chisholm
DESIGNATION SHEET UPDATED August 2009

SITE DESCRIPTION: An extensive exposure of Upper Carboniferous Midgley Grit (formerly known as the Pule Hill Grit) is revealed in a 20m high quarry face extending 100m along the western slopes of Pule Hill. Plant fossils can be seen in the quarry spoil and blocks of fallen rock.

Pule Hill HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS: The quarry produced large quantities of building stones and flag stones. The site has industrial archaeological interest, containing the remains of a loading bay for the inclined plane used to transport quarried stone down to the road. The quarrying is referred to in the Holmfirth and Glossop memoir (see details below) p177. It was recorded in 1933 that the quarries (called Pule Edge Quarries) were actively producing paving stones, setts and building stone. Adjacent to the site are spoil tips containing material removed during the construction of the Standedge tunnels.

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: This is an excellent site demonstrating the quarrying of stone, with interesting structures in the quarry face. It is often used for guided geological walks which include ‘Goniatite Gully’ and the geology of Marsden. The summit of Pule Hill has good views of the local landscape and geology, especially looking east to the Rough Rock of Shooters Nab and south to the moors which are made of Kinderscout Grits. Nearby at SE 033 102 is the fossil site at ‘Goniatite Gully’. For references for this important site see below.

AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS: There are excellent views over Marsden Moor to Buckstones.

ACCESS AND SAFETY: Good parking is available in the lay-by on the east side of the A62 (SE 028 107). A stile gives access to a track leading up the inclined plane to the quarry. Avoid steep slopes overlooking the quarry and unstable spoil heaps. Keep to flat ground in front of the quarry face. Hard hats should be worn, if approaching the quarry faces. The quarry is used for climbing.