Quarry

[southside]

Hi

Can anyone help with the location of the quarry in this newspaper article from the 1860s? also the name of the road

Southside

[mike142sl]

Could it be Whinfell Quarry, now a garden? just off the old section of Ecclesall Rd near the entrance to Whirlow Brook Lodge.

[SteveHB]

Not sure of years that these quarry's were created.

1893

[SteveHB]

This confirms a quarry at Whirlow Bridge in 1854.

[mike142sl]

Not sure of years that these quarry's were created.

1893

That's the one I was thinking of, now Whinfell Gardens. All the area between the bridge and Whirlow Wheel now filled in and the river culverted - makes an exciting start to one of our scout evening walks - never realised there had been a wheel there though, must look for the remains next time.

[Bayleaf]

That's the one Mike. Whirlow Quarry, later Whinfell Quarry Gardens.

In 1851 the quarry was being leased by Mr Camm from the Hollis Trust, and in 1863 was paying £15 p.a. The stone was taken down to the turnpike by a system of rails. In November 1869 Mr Camm filled up part of the quarry and opened up a new area nearer Fenney Lane.

Four men were working here, but by 1870 this was reduced to three. The new workings were very costly to operate and mr Camm gave up the lease in 1873.

It was taken over by Jonathan Hulley who had been Camm's foreman. He and his family lived at Whirlow Cottage.

By 1881 he was employing five men. His son Jonathan followed his father and in time took over the quarry which he ran in conjunction with the farm at Alms Hill, but by 1895 appears to have become a full time farmer.

On the 1851 OS map they are marked as old flagstone quarries.

The Water Power book gives the map ref of Whirlow Wheel as SK312 826.

"The upper dam survives to the west of the old Ecclesall Road, with the metal framework of a shuttle visible from the footpath, but any othe remains are overgrown. The lower dam has disappeared beneath the road realignment, although a small amount of stonework may mark its south-eastern edge.

At the north end, by the stream, the wheel pit is enclosed by a wall. The upstream wall of the pit is vertical, but the east end has a shaped breast, suggesting an overshot wheel and central outlet. The turbine of 1901 appears to be in position at the base of the pit, the shaft rising to the former wheel spindle height. Supports survive for a bevel box to transfer the drive through the axle shaft passage into the building.

The passage is below floor level, a reminder of the use of the building as a corn mill before 1803. Parts of the original penstock can be seen, collapsing into the wheel pit . The tail goit was probably culverted, but the outfall is lost in hillwash in the steep sided valley.

The roof of the wheel collapsed in 2006, and the future of the building is uncertain."