Monument record MDR13550 - Harveydale and Holt Quarries, Dale Road, Matlock Town

The Tithe Schedule and map (1847/9) indicated a group of three quarries in Matlock Dale, a small quarry adjacent to the Boat Inn, immediately to the north of this William Webster operated Holt Quarry accessed via Holt Lane and Old Lane. Bordering to the south was Harvey Dale Quarry, worked by James Greaves. In 1876 the railway company introduced a stone loading dock near the entrance to the goods yard to service those quarries without direct rail links. Hudson (1989) suggests that this provided the impetus for Greatorex to 'open up Harvey Dale Quarry' although the precise initial date of Greatorex's involvement is not clear but predates in 1893. Messes Job and J. A Greatorex of Commonwood were 'energetically working' Harvey Dale with 'powerful machinery' to crush the stone for macadamising roads. Throughout much of the 19th century, Holt, Boat House and Harvey Dale functioned separately, then at some date, probably nearing 1900, the small Boat House Quarry closed and is now a pub car park. By 1897, Holt Lane Quarry was owned and operated by Thomas Green of Matlock Bridge and Harvey Dale by Job Greatorex and Son, Matlock Dale. Ragusa Asphalte Paving Ltd. was established in 1915 by Sidney D Clements and at the end of World War 1, took over Greatorex. Holt and Harvey Dale quarries were small but visually prominent roadside quarries and as such attracted much criticism. In 1930, local ratepayers petitioned Matlock UDC complaining particularly about dust. The company responded that they 'were doing all they could to suppress and give as little inconvenience as possible' and went on to note that they were taking the situation so seriously that they were considering closing the plant 'but not until their developments were ready in another district'. Following the merger of Ragusa's Derbyshire quarrying interests, in the form of Greatorex, to form Derbyshire Stone, Harvey Dale and Holt were high on the list for closure in December 1939, as part of wartime economic rationalisation. However, Ragusa itself still operated its own plant in Harvey Dale and this continued until at least 1957. In the 1950s proposals were made to advance quarrying north-westwards towards Salters Lane, which would have effectively left the lane on an arête formed on the other side by Hall Dale, but these plans were never put into effect. Both quarries in the Dale appeared to be active up until the mid 1960s when landscaping was introduced to reduce the impact along the road frontage. Shortly afterwards, the site was cleared to permit the building of John Hadfield House, intended as the new headquarters for Derbyshire Stone and opened in 1968, only months before the merger with Tarmac. John Hadfield House was retained to accommodate the offices of Tarmac's largest producing region (over time including much of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and southern Yorkshire). The building was closed in the internal reorganisation of 1997 and later became the headquarters of Derbyshire County Council's School Improvement Service. (1) The 1st edition 25" Ordnance Survey map of c. 1880 shows a line of quarries running roughly north-south along Dale Road, Matlock, incorporated within which is an old lead mine and a Limekiln. (2) The 2nd edition 25" Ordnance Survey map of c. 1900 labels the southern quarry as Harveydale Quarry and shows it has been extended, the limekiln is shown as 'Old'. (3) The 3rd edition 25" Ordnance Survey map labels both Holt and Harveydale Quarries, both of which had been extended. (4)