Hetchell Crags, Scarcroft

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

STATUS: Local Geological Site
OTHER DESIGNATIONS: Site of Special Scientific Interest
COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTICT: Leeds OS GRID REF. SE 377 424 OS 1:50,000 Landranger 104 Leeds and Bradford OS 1:25,000 Explorer 289 Leeds BGS 1:50,000 Sheet 70 Leeds
FIRST DESIGNATED West Yorkshire RIGS Group in 1997
DATE OF MOST RECENT SURVEY January 2009 by West Yorkshire Geology Group
DESIGNATION SHEET UPDATED August 2009

SITE DESCRIPTION: Hetchell Crags are an exposure of the Upper Carboniferous East Carlton Grit approximately 200m long and up to 10m high. This rock is part of the Namurian (Millstone Grit) Series. It displays superb cross bedding which runs in a variety of different directions. The rock is a coarse gritstone with several pebble layers and in places shows good graded bedding. Differential weathering has picked out joints and bedding planes. Some faces have honeycomb weathering patterns.

HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS: The exposure may not be entirely natural as the rock has been worked in overgrown quarries that lie adjacent to the site. Extensive spoil heaps, also overgrown, can be seen in the adjacent fields and examples of the worked stone can be seen in the remains of the nearby railway bridge that carried the track over a lane.

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: This site is suitable for students and interested adults at all levels and is a good place to measure true and apparent dips and to interpret current directions. The overhanging rocks do not have a weathered surface so that it is easy to study their textures and small scale features.

AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS: There are good views to the west across typical Millstone Grit country. Gritstone beds form prominent east-west ridges and shale forms the lower ground between them. The woodland walks are pleasant.

ACCESS AND SAFETY: The approach to the crags is by footpaths through Hetchell Wood from the car park, or along the old railway line from either Scarcroft Hill or Bardsey or from the A58. The footpaths are wide and give access to the area below the crags, although a wheelchair could not reach the base of the crags for a closer view. The rock face is stable but care is needed if working on the top of the cliff or beneath the vertical faces. The crags are used by rock climbers.