Middlepeak (Bowne and Shaw’s) D

The next quarry up the road and joined to Stoneycroft and worked as one quarry is Middlepeak. This was connected to the railway by a self acting 3ft gauge incline after passing over Middleton Rd on a level crossing and under Old Lane on under bridge to a loading stage by the standard gauge line.

These lines were the subjects of replacement by the overhead conveyer that is featured in the Tarmac series of photos . The higher level narrow gauge at Stoneycroft going at the same time.

Crushers, grading plant and new offices were also built within the quarry at the same time.

This quarry was responsible for huge quantities of stone for the construction of the Midland motorway network as well as supplies of iron flux and ‘sugar stone’. It was the last quarry of this group to close in the nineties.