Monument record 8430 - Wellingborough Quarries - Rixons

{1} Owners from1874 Rixon & Co.from 18th June 1883 Rixon's Iron & Brick Co.Ltd.,from 12th February 1889 Wellingborough Iron Co.Ltd.,from 29th October 1962 Stewarts & Lloyds Minerals Ltd. until closure in 1966. This series of quarries and mines started alongside the Finedon to Wellingborough road just south of Finedon. The road still maintains its wide grass verge. At the start the ironore was for resale only but in 1883 the owners decided to go into the ironmaking business and the next firm was started. There were several quarries in this one area all of which had names;Harrows (1896),Finedon(1897),Ditchford 9 (1898),Ditchford 10 (1898) Carrol Spring 5a (1905),Thingdon (1911),Glebe (1922).There were also two limestone quarries within the site and at one time a small mine in operation in the area of Carol Spring Farm. The limestone found in the area is of the Oolite description and was used by the Premier Cement Co.Ltd.,In 1932 due to the depression the mines and quarries were closed. A further survey of the area showed that there was still a large amount of ironstone to be found in the area and a renewal lease was obtained. The mine and quarries were reopened. The emphasis to start with was on the mining side but quarrying ceased in the early1930's but the beds lay under a depth of overburden it was considered uneconomic to remove. During the war and with the onset of new machinery quarrying was restarted and the mining closed down. It was found in 1962 that the ore was not of good enough quality for Wellingborough Ironworks and the ore output of 2000 tons per week was sent to Irlam,Lancs. The long lived Wellingboreough no 5 opened before 1900 as Carrol Spring No.5. finally closed in August 1964. The remained of the quarry closing in October 1966.

<1> Tonks E., 1990, The Ironstone Quarries of The Midlands (History, Operation and Railways): The Wellingborough Area, p.87-123 (unchecked) (Book). SNN45742.

Record last edited

Sep 17 2008 11:45AM