Hodge Close Quarry: Difference between revisions
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'''Hodge Close Quarry''' is a flooded, green slate quarry, nestled amongst some beautiful countryside but with obvious signs of historic mining works having taken place throughout the Tilberthwaite Valley. Mining probably started around the 1780s, and with a few periods of inactivity, continued through until 1964.<ref>Cameron, p.139.</ref> It is located 4.6 kilometres (2.9 miles) north of [[Coniston]] and 12 kilometres (7.4 miles) west of [[Ambleside]]. It has become a popular, well-trodden area for hikers and, over the years, a key location for rock climbing, abseiling, and scuba diving. There are sheer drops to the north, west and east, and to the south there is a scree slope, none of which have barriers in place at the edges, but warning signs are placed near the roadside. However, caution is advised at all times. Hodge close is attached to neighbouring [[Parrock Quarry]], also open to the elements, but here nature has fully reclaimed the rocky features of once busy mining operations, giving the appearance of something out of Conan Doyle’s, {{w2|The Lost World (Doyle novel|The Lost World}}.
The mining operations have produced an enormous amount of spoil and, depending on opinion, created an eyesore in an otherwise picturesque valley with [[Holme Fell]] as its nearby peak. The cold, grey spoil is a brooding reminder of the strong history of mining in the area. The scale of the works here was big enough to produce a pile of waste material so large that it has plateaued, and now become part of the fell side in a somewhat bleak but beautiful way. Nature has found a way to claw back what was taken, with silver birch trees, amongst others, seemingly growing where slate was once deposited.
The following words are a brief appreciation of this unique place, borne from many years of hard work by the people that lived in the small mining communities of Tilberthwaite, [[Little Langdale]] and Coniston during the 19th and 20th centuries.
As a precursory note, anyone with common sense would know that quarries are incredibly dangerous places, and should heed any notion of climbing rocks or swimming in the cold, murky waters without professional guidance. There is a stark beauty about the place, but this quarry has claimed the lives of people past, and in more recent times. Hodge Close can get busy at times and the car park can fill fairly quickly, but this is a special place for all to enjoy, whether as passers-by or as a sports recreationists. The history of Hodge Close Quarry, and indeed the whole mining valley, is at the very least, intriguing.▼
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==Access and parking==
Access is via the A593 between [[Skelwith Bridge]] and Coniston. There are two turns fairly close to each other. One is for Tilberthwaite and the other for Hodge Close. If coming from Coniston, it is the 2nd left turn. If coming from Skelwith Bridge and Ambleside, it is the 1st right. (SD 31412 99736, {{w3w|nerves.dimension.openings}}) From the turn, it is approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) up a narrow lane, which weaves through woodland, passing the Holme Ground cottages, which were built for quarry workers in the 1880s. The road eventually summits, then descends to the car park. There is parking for a maximum of 20 vehicles, which can fill fairly quickly. Large rocks have been put in place to limit the number of vehicles that can park here. There is no turning or vehicular access beyond the end of the car park, except for residents and holiday cottages.
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==Sources==
*Cameron, Alastair (1996). ''Slate from Coniston''. Barrow in Furness: Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society.
==References==
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[[Category:Hodge Close Quarry]]
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