Monument record MDR4916 - Millstone quarries, Shining Cliff, Alderwasley
Type and Period (1)
- QUARRY (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- World Heritage Site Buffer Zone
Full Description
'… about the year 1257 we find Henry de Herlston, the bailiff, and John De Neuton, the reeve, returning the considerable sum of £11 as rent received for a certain grindstone quarry (quarrere ad molas) at Alderwasley. In an account of 1425, however, we hear that this quarry was at that time not being worked'. (1)
Near Bat House Cave is an old disused quarry where millstones were quarried before the introduction of French stone. A cave near the quarry was used as a blacksmith's shop. (2)
[Area centred SK 3348 5229]. The quarry is within a few yards of Bat House Cave. It is quite probably to be identified with the medieval references. (3)
In addition to the quarry noted by Authy. 3 there is at SK 3343 5263 a much larger one. Here there are several old millstones of the plano-convex type. No cave was seen in the immediate vicinity of this quarry, and the narrowness of the Bat House probably precluded it being used as a smithy. (4)
In 1257 a rental of a quarry at Alderwasley was granted for millstone or grindstone-making granted at £11 per annum. Then in 1313-14 reference is made to a quarry in the same area, at Rouclyf (Rowcliff) where 50 sledge loads of molas (millstones) were sold for £20; cobstones (cobblestones) were also produced. Similar leases continued into the 15th century and millstones were supplied over a wide area, including to mills at Tutbury and Uttoxeter. (5)
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDR16050 Bibliographic reference: Vellacott, C H. VCH Derby Vol. 2 1907 pp.364-5.
- <2> SDR3507 Bibliographic reference: Bulmer, T and Co.. 1895. History, Topography and Directory of Derbyshire. p609.
- <3> SDR6469 Personal Observation: F1 WCW 27-JUL-59.
- <4> SDR6531 Personal Observation: F2 BHS 09-JUN-66.
- <5> SDR21446 Unpublished document: Thomas, I (National Stone Centre). 2012. The Lower Derwent Valley: The Exploitation and Use of Historic Building Materials. p 7.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 3346 5246 (60m by 350m) (Centred on) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ALDERWASLEY, AMBER VALLEY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR923
- EDR1427
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Dec 21 2018 9:27AM