Monument record 8412/1 - Brixworth Quarries (Sheepbridge)

Quarrying started in 1884

{1} Owner Sheepbridge Coal & Iron Co.Ltd., In October 1880 the company obtained a lease for the working of ironstone but it was not until 9th January 1884 that production was commenced but only for a short time as the quarries stopped work in June 1896. Sidings were made at Brixworth station and a 2ft guage tramway was laid from there to the quarries. The slope in this area is steeper than elsewhere in the village hence a cable operation with a winding drum at the summit of the double incline was installed for the hauling of the wagons. As the site was purely outcrop and quarries comparatively shallow, there are no very marked traces of the quarrying area, but sunken ground can be seen on both sides of the green lane west of the church known as Lynch Lane. Most significant is the dip in the lane where "The Lynch" adjoins it on the south side beyond which the hedge between lane and field is clearly recent growth than the rest, or the more elevated hedge on the north side. Presumably the original section of the hedge was removed to extract the ironstone and then the hedge was replaced.

<1> Tonks E., 1989, The Ironstone Quarries of The Midlands (History, Operation and Railways): The Northampton Area, p.169-70 (unchecked) (Book). SNN47272.

Record last edited

Jun 27 2023 2:18PM