COLEHILL QUARRY(SHAWS) F

This is the last quarry on our line at the end of the incline and one of the youngest not having started working until 1912 when yet another Shaw (Alfred) cousin of John started production.

It made up for its late start as by the end of the First World War the quarry covered 3 acres. Evidence of charcoal burning were found during quarrying and this seems to confirm the origin of the name of Cole Hill or Coal Hill meaning the hill where charcoal burners work.

In the next thirty years the quarry expanded in size and it would appear to have been abandoned after the second World War. A number of the locals remember it being an adventure playground for the kids of the area.

Tarmac eventually ended up as owners and after closure a lot of the site was taken over for the National Stone Centre.

Parts of the narrow gauge line are still in situ above our new Ravenstore Platform and a number of good pictures of the exchange hoppers are featured in the Tarmac photos.

Shaws ?

This is where we hit on problems of which quarry was which. Below Colehill nearer Cromford Rd and about opposite the present hopper was another quarry which appeared about the same time as Colehill closed .It was served by a short narrow gauge line worked by three men and horses and feeding into the same exchange plant as the Colehill quarry line. It seems to have been known as Shaws and was owned by Alfred until it was taken over by local haulier W.H.Phillips who then leased it to Wimpeys who were after enormous quantities of stone for motorway construction enlarging the quarry to 35 acres and eventually removing most of the Midland incline.

All evidence of this quarry on the ground has now disappeared.