The Quarries Thread

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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

"Hoping Reg might be able to say a few words" - sounds like I'm officiating at a funeral!!

OK - "lovely strata there".

Yes very close to the trees. However: "It is vitally important to a quarry operator to be able to exploit the reserves of rock in a quarry to the maximum. This objective is best satisfied by forming individual quarry faces as steep as possible, with benches as narrow as possible, and faces as high as possible – consistent, of course, with stability. It is these parameters which control the slope angle of the quarry and maximize the reserves that can be exploited. Changing them can have a profound effect on the reserves that can be exploited and can have major financial implications. EG. The effect of reducing face angle on a three-benched quarry slope can be calculated. The reserves sterilized/lost increase progressively to 12,744 tonnes for each 10m length of face as the face angle is reduced from 90° to 65°. " :smile:
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by whitestone »

RIP wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:55 pm "Hoping Reg might be able to say a few words" - sounds like I'm officiating at a funeral!!

OK - "lovely strata there".

Yes very close to the trees. However: "It is vitally important to a quarry operator to be able to exploit the reserves of rock in a quarry to the maximum. This objective is best satisfied by forming individual quarry faces as steep as possible, with benches as narrow as possible, and faces as high as possible – consistent, of course, with stability. It is these parameters which control the slope angle of the quarry and maximize the reserves that can be exploited. Changing them can have a profound effect on the reserves that can be exploited and can have major financial implications. EG. The effect of reducing face angle on a three-benched quarry slope can be calculated. The reserves sterilized/lost increase progressively to 12,744 tonnes for each 10m length of face as the face angle is reduced from 90° to 65°. " :smile:
Your knowledge sounds almost encyclopedic :wink:
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

Used to be a door-to-door Britannica salesman so my lunchtimes were brain food as well as body food.

Not really :wink: . I get interested in stuff and can't stop ferreting...
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by whitestone »

Given your moniker I thought you'd get the quote. :wink: :wink: :wink:
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

AHH!
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

:-bd

I thought I'd stopped but I'm working on an extravaganza for this month's BaM, but it relies on a lot of ducks lining up properly.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by jameso »

Reg, remember our first hill top beer stop the other weekend? Have you seen the quarry up there on the other side of the road from the cafe?
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

Mmm, it's well hidden that one. Kensworth Quarry?
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by jameso »

RIP wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:56 pm Mmm, it's well hidden that one. Kensworth Quarry?
Yes. I couldn't confirm or deny what the riding is like as around Kensworth is all FPs ;)
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by redefined_cycles »

Today on a local ride me nd the kids tumbled upin this beauty. Massive it was too and then realised what Reg was on about when he mentioned a quarry very local to me.

Anyway... whilst that loading (into Imgur so I can add it here), take a look at this one.

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(Once upon a time*) after Peel Tower and coming back Haslingden from Ramsbottom, I looked right whilst waiting at the gate and peering back was this lovely..

Can't remember what name my mate gave it, but after asking him again, it was obvious he hadn't an idea what it was. Upon investigation I reckon it must be this (well, OS maps)...

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Fletcher Bank Quarry (Rossendale)...

Ok, todays local quarry now that they've uploaded...

Twas here but no sign on OS maps. Maybe Reg might shine a light and explain!!

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The bulls eye is where we was stood...

Here it is in person...

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Twas so big that it'd ended up with a pond growing inside it. Looked like the crew had a pump connected to try and empty it out...

Quarries... lovely things hey. Thanks again Reg.

* Well just a few weeks ago.
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by redefined_cycles »

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Been working on my motivation as well as getting worried that a time might come when I can't make my R2WFH work for me. Shirly I need to ensure I'm getting closer to that ride being 2.5H and not over 3H which might be possibly whats happening of late. Powermeter to the rescue - well I usually have the power meter on the 'roadie pretending to be gravelly bike' but I tend to just look ay the cute number go up and down whenever I decide to push harder on the pedals - I got myself connected to a training plan which integrates to the Wahoo.

Yeaterdays ride was supposed to be a 1H painful session. So, naturally I rode around the block for about 40 mins and ensured nothing would hurt. Not good enough so todays threshold session would need to be followed to the dot. Got out there and did a bit of gravel to Wessenden to get my monthly pics. Obviously on the gravel sections I couldn't hold the power that the navigator was telling me. So I concentrated on not falling off. Thankfully after an hour of the traning plan, the session was over and I could go back to just looking at the cute numbers. Nothing hurting too much. So off I continued...

Packed was a 6 pack of oat biscuits and some emergency sarnies. Getting to and across Wessenden Head is hard work where my mate Kris almost died once with sideways hail. Thankfully it was his near-death expereince that alerted the 'lets get a rambo binliner over him at the nearest shop' team. So they never noticed that i too was dying on that there summer ride all them years ago. But these days, with 4 years of hanging around with the Bearboners, I like to think of myself as a bit 'ard'. I was gonna go fetch them pics on this here winters day :smile: Just aswell the temps were 7c on departure.

Hope you've not got too bored and the rest I shall attempt with little more words.

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First section of proper gnarl and I wondered whether my Egen would get up there.

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Answer was no and the riding lasted about 12 metres. So I walked up and took a pic of this beauty. The tree that fell about 5 years ago in the storms and blocked the path.

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Got to about 300m from Castle Hill and the 'plan' was almost over. Whilst it decided what I was doing whilst I should've been sweating my bottom off, I notice the view overlooking Huddersfield. Surely I could find my (dads) house from here. I could, kindof: it's slightly left of centre between the viaduct/train bridge and the double white block of flats. Image

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That pic through the viewranger-eye. Lower Crosland Moor is where we were brought up, AKA Thornton Lodge.

A rainbow was out but I'm not sure if it shows in the above pics. Then a few 100 metres further I took the pic of Black Hill once again. Only this time I knew what it was and had experienced it (and knew why its called Black Hill). In the hope that Gian might read this or anyone else, I wondered if the hill to the right of the lampost is actually Wessenden Head. Image

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Then came the first bit of proper gnarl. Thankfully I'd brought my Hope seatpin and I'd be riding this today without too much 'will-I-smash-my-teeth-today' thoughts. I managed to ride it all, but the thoughts were firmly with me.

To the bottom and I decide today would be the day that I rode up past the 'scenic' road up towards Beaumont Park. Technically this is where we where we grew up as its round the corner from the high school we went to ('we', being the 'me and my friends and family' one). Even though its been about 10 years since I might have visited/driven past here, I was indeed right and the 'scenic' showed through straight away

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Gobsmackingly beautiful - as long as you don't look down the littered banking on the other side of the bridge - and it might explain why my mate Butcher (well he is now, but in them days he was the butchers son) drove through the wall whilst joyriding out with his dads car at the tender age of 14.

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Whilst I circumnavigated the streets and roads to try and find my bearings for Wessenden, it popped out. A quarry... the Quarry. The one which we must've been introduced to at our junior/high schools. It must have been as it's only a stones throw away from both.

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I even took a pic of the lad nicking some rock. On his Ifor Williams trailer... Only the best for us West Yorkshire lot. I continue riding and look back at Castle Hill and almost fall off my saddle. Emley Moor Mast is only about 20 metres from Castle Hill. Wait til I tell my mum, but more importantly I need to have words my mate Musa. Told me that Emley Moor Mast sits higher than our very (Huddersfield) Castle Hill. Not from where I'm looking and he obviously needs his specs testing (or maybe learn how to read an OS map... though he's probably right and me wrong but... but...).

Anyway, apologies for the digression (is that even a word!), I continue. So now I'd seen this here Quarry, I wasn't gonna go on without getting a proper pic of it's workings. For Reg obviously, but I also needed a cow or two and a shaft. Hmmm....

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Some snow at Wessy. Shirly there'll be a few shafts ariund here.

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Some horses that look like cows from afar.

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Here I look across and wonder whether I really should be trying to get up to Wessy... Surely it'll be windy up there (well windier than the uber-low gale force happening whilst I take this pic).

In conclusion, here it is. I took a while finding a decent vantage point to take a peek. But turns out the council knew I'd one day need to get a pic of the workings below. They have a special viewing point, so I took a pic, said my prayers, then took another...

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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

Holy Thread Resurrection, Batman :smile: .

Just goes to show you can't hold a good quarry down....
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by Boab »

Just outside Claydon, Suffolk- 52° 7' 14.89" N, 1° 6' 53.50" E
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by Verena »

This afternoon, very important work meeting on teams. "Did you hear that noise?" says person X. "No" says everyone. "Must be the quarry up the hill" says X. Me, hastily unmuting myself, " you have a quarry near your house, how fascinating, tell me about it" :lol:
(Gets quick description of location and makes mental note to get OS map out just as soon as the meeting is done) :ugeek:
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

Verena wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:59 pm This afternoon, very important work meeting on teams. "Did you hear that noise?" says person X. "No" says everyone. "Must be the quarry up the hill" says X. Me, hastily unmuting myself, " you have a quarry near your house, how fascinating, tell me about it" :lol:
(Gets quick description of location and makes mental note to get OS map out just as soon as the meeting is done) :ugeek:
See, it's contagious. Even across tinternet :smile: .
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by nobbythesheep »

00B22D60-AE6E-421D-A7CE-315E4FE9A6B1.jpeg
00B22D60-AE6E-421D-A7CE-315E4FE9A6B1.jpeg (20.5 KiB) Viewed 2654 times
cross fell and Dunn fell are riddled with shafts and tunnels, mined for both silver and gypsum amongst other things.going to be biving up there later in week weather not been to horrendous
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by The Cumbrian »

You may find this vaguely exciting:

https://youtu.be/6RiYXI1Tfu4

It's the UK's last aerial ropeway, and it's entirely gravity operated.
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

The Cumbrian wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:58 pm You may find this vaguely exciting:

https://youtu.be/6RiYXI1Tfu4

It's the UK's last aerial ropeway, and it's entirely gravity operated.
Arg, nooo, you've set me off again! Absolutely love 'em. Yeah, Claughton Brickworks. I hope to give it another viewing in a couple of weeks time. I'm sure I read somewhere that it had closed unexpectedly. Need to start getting some cash together to preserve it when it finally stops.

Got a lot of ropeway photos in my collection, and am sad that I missed their swansong during the 60s/70s when there were loads still operating.

http://www.ropeways.co.uk/uk/rw_ukgaz.htm
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by RIP »

The Cumbrian wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:58 pm You may find this vaguely exciting:

https://youtu.be/6RiYXI1Tfu4

It's the UK's last aerial ropeway, and it's entirely gravity operated.
Finally got round to watching the whole of that. Rivetting stuff. Honest. In fact, so rivetting I went on to see the more recent addition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JTWc6jWZ9Q. A full trip ON the ropeway.

It's only been up there for ten days and already half a million views!

As Lungomono said: "Lets just, for a moment, take in that almost 300k people have spent almost 20 minutes on watching a bucket of clay going down a hill.
If this isn't the peak of online entertainment, I don't know what else should be" :-bd . Next videos lined up to watch: paint drying, concrete setting, trees growing!

Some superb quotes in the comments section. Could almost be This Place. Eg. "FACT: everyone watching this all the way through has a favourite rock they check in on between watching the scenery throughout the video. Like if u agree and shout out your rock, my favorite is Rodney (top left corner of bucket) bravely jutting out over the edge"

Aww come on, it is Friday, what else could you possibly be doing that's more fun eh?
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by redefined_cycles »

Asked my mate for a climb as I was coming to Bradford with the family. To the inlaws so I could go practice my climbing for my Everesting training which in turn is training for the BB200. He dished me out a climb but it's in Kieghley. Erm... Do I really wanna ride around Kieghley, let alone up and down a climb multiple times.

The climb was ok but in 2 segments. I'll assume because no-one ever made it to the top alive to actually get home and make a full Strava-segment showcasing the elevation. Even my Wahoo was confused and despite having made my route and loaded it up, it kept trying to route me back to my car. Maybe it'd got the memo about 'don't cycle in or around Kieghley' or maybe it'd witnessed too many lost riders before me.

Anyway, I was gonna make this happen and after about 3 or 4 reloads of the route - it kept doubing back and converting 24 miles to go, straight to 2 or 3 miles to go - I finally manage to make it to the prescribed climb. Work in progress is that whether I should actually make a Strava segment of the full climb as I'd survived it. At this point I suppose I should also tell you that it's being reported here as I'd included a quarry in the loop but managed to find two with my continuous battle with the Wahoo sending me home.

Got to the bottom with my orange jersey and 'see me from a mile or 2' rear light. Start climbing and get a puncture. Keep riding, it'll seal and then I stopped to pump it up. Lady - let's call her Jeanette - asked if I was ok and if I needed help. Faith in Kieghley restored a little, I politely declined and kept pumping. Then realised how atrocious this Squirt sealant actually is and how as bike parts manufacturers, they shouldn't try to delve into everything.

Got across the road and started the mandatory job of untublessing it. Something I've ony ever needed to do twice previously in the last 5 years and never for the 7 years before that. Lovely man called Brian comes out and asks if I needed help. Turned out he's a fellow mtber but 'don't ride these roads'. They go up this here steep hill at 70 :o he told me and thats when I briefly considered making it into one of my Unclimables I'm working on. If I made it up (alive) or it was less than 20% then obviously it couldn't make the list. Tubeless sorted with a tube and goodbeyes n tha ks to Brian I headed off again.

Back down the hill and up again. Shouted, 'THANKS BRIAN' at his house whilst I rode past. Thankfully made it up to the top and turned out it didn't feel too hard. Was I harder or was the ZamZam in my bottles acting like EPO. Dunno, but what I did know is that I'd not be attempting to ride down there and up again. Turned up at the top somewhere to try and shortcut the route and thats when it hit me. This gorgeous looking thingy and I thought of Reg.

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Cherish the images properly as its possible the last person that tried to cycle out here to take pics never got back alive.

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Stopped at this junction to double back and again join the route after some more fighting and convincing with/of Wahoo. Briefly thought of popping the bike at this sign and then getting the Quarry in the background. But there was a 90% chance my bike or me wouldn't survive. So I just took the pic of the road at which the Quarry could be seen clearest... I think.

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This was supposed to be the pic of the above quarry in my OS maps screenshot. But I've just realised, 'Gooseye'. As I was looking for my climb down there on puncture-road the ladies I asked of where it was thought I was looking for Gooseye. Now I see the gravity of the climb in the above screenshot.

Anyway, Royd Quarry is that there finding I made Reg and then onwards and upwards/downwards to go check the actual quarry I'd dialled in to the route. Only found it cos there was that, there 'vantage point' I was gonna go explore and take a pic. Will let you decide how it rates but the quarry wasn't owt too exciting. More pics below in the link and I shan't tell you about how I fought off the traffic as it'd get boring :smile:

https://imgur.com/gallery/MTFlxXs

Got back to the car, alive and turned it round at the mini roundabout at the top. All the while wondering if some idiot was gonna come and side-bash my car. Phew, made it round the tiny roundabout - another climb now, really narrow road where I'd parked but parking on both sides - and started driving down. Thats when it happened, the undereducated idiot driving up was making progress through some temporary lights and a blind bend at 70. Road had markers for 20 all over. Took evasive action, just about saved my car from being written off and drove home. Got some VV squares and potentially might not wver need to visit this part of the world on bike ever again ....

and they all LIVED happily ever after...

[edit: since I actually feel like George Mallory, but coming out alive - in my case the winding roads of kieghley - I reckon it's only fair to share all the pics I managed to survive out with. So I've added all of em to IMGUR and will post the link when it's all uploaded]
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by redefined_cycles »

NB. I did find a climb that reminded me of Rosedale Chimney but only winded up going down it. So I guess I do need to visit again but maybe a little more lights/sirens and park a bit further away from the populace. Seems they drive faster where pedestrians actually might be!

https://imgur.com/gallery/bJ7NpYa
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by Boab »

New safety fences up around the local quarry, plus more machinery. Oooo...
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Re: (Reg's) 'Quarries, Shafts & Killer Cows' Thread

Post by Verena »

Hey Reg, are you absolutely sure you and I didn't have an affair sometime roundabout the spring of 1999??!? Do
you keep a little black book or some such from that time?
It's just that, when driving through Blaenau Ffestiniog on Monday with my daughter, she exclaimed "I f@#king love slate and quarries!!!", and the excitement has been carrying on ever since, fed further by a visit to the national slate museum and a walk round Dinorwig quarry yesterday...
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