Monument record MDR13780 - Manystones Quarry, Manystones Lane, Harborough Rocks

In the area between Hartington and Hopton, silica sands and associated clays have been worked from so-called pocket deposits. These were mainly used for refractory products in furnaces. They were extracted at Moneystones Quarry and Harboro' Rocks. (1) Moneystones Quarry has also been referred to as Manystones or Minniestones or Brittain's. The surrounding fields in the same holding (defined by the railway to the north east and the road to the south) yielded umber (processed as a pigment), fireclay and sand (both used for refractories) as shown in a plan of about 1900; there were also lead veins in the immediate vicinity. The earliest working of Moneystones Quarry was apparently in about 1860 by a Mr Carrington followed by his executor, Mr Smedley. From 1873 to 1883 Moneystones was controlled by Armitage Brothers. On the 1880 OS plan the site is shown as a small quarry with a crane and tramway running generally north-eastwards to the Cromford & High Peak Railway. Then until 1889 a Mr Braekell had the quarry and sold block stone as 'Hopton Stone (Moneystones)' as well as fluxing stone and road stone. The quarry was sold following financial difficulties. By 1901 T & M Brittain were operating Moneystones. The 1922 OS plan indicated yet further substantial growth. Hopton Wood Stone Firms Ltd took over the quarry in December 1930 and developed the works rapidly by investing in equipment in 1931. By late 1935 the enterprise was showing poor returns and it was agreed to close the unit down as soon as commitments permitted. The rail sidings were removed for scrap in 1941. From 1973 onwards Moneystones Quarry was filled with tailings pumped in from processing vein minerals for fluorspar. (2) Quarry formerly linked to the CHPR by tramway. At the point where the tramway linked into the railway there are substantial remains of brick-arched limekilns. (3)