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Wrengill Quarry, Longsleddale
Wrengill Quarry
civil parish:-   Longsleddale (formerly Westmorland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   slate quarry
locality type:-   quarry (disused) 
coordinates:-   NY47340853 (etc) 
1Km square:-   NY4708
10Km square:-   NY40


photograph
BNO59.jpg (taken 11.4.2007)  

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Nicolson and Burn 1777
item:-  slate
source data:-   Book, History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, 2 volumes, by Joseph Nicolson and Richard Burn, published by W Strahan and T Cadell, Strand, London, 1777.
pp.133-134  "Sleddale Beck, commonly called Spret, springs in Wrangdale-head in this dale (a place famous for fine blue slate got there), ..."

evidence:-   descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) 
item:-  slate
source data:-   Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.
image WS21P166, button  goto source
Page 166:-  "... The road [S from Gatescarth] traverses the mountain as on the other side, but is much better made, and wider, on account of the slate taken from the sides of these mountains and carried to Kendal, &c. ..."

evidence:-   old text:- Housman 1800
item:-  slate
source data:-   Guide book, Descriptive Tour, and Guide to the Lakes, Caves, Mountains ..., by John Housman, published by F Jollie, Carlisle, Cumberland and C Law, Ave Maria Lane, London, 1800; published 1800-21.
Page 72:-  "... Great quantities of the finest blue slate are got at this place, and conveyed on horseback to some distance, till the ground becomes level enough to admit of carts travelling upon it."

evidence:-   old map:- Hodgson 1828
placename:-  Wrangdale Slate Quarries
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 4 sheets mounted together on linen and rolled, Plan of the County of Westmorland, scale about 1.25 inches to 1 mile, by Thomas Hodgson, engraved by W R Gardner, Harpur Street, London, published by Thomas Hodgson, Lancaster, and perhaps by C Smith, 172 Strand, London,1828.
image
HDG6lsl4.jpg
map courtesy of Mark Cropper
"Wrangdale Slate Quarries"
item:-  private collection : 371
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Bulmer 1880s (1st edn 1885/Wmd) 
item:-  slate
source data:-   Series of books, each the History, Topography, and Directory of a county in the NW, mostly by T F Bulmer, published by T Bulmer and Co, Manchester, Lancashire, 1880s; 2nd editions 1900s-10s.
"In the north, separating this township from Mardale, is Rangill Head, a mountain containing fine blue slate, which was extensively quarried towards the latter part of the last century."

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Wilson 1912
item:-  slate
source data:-   Guide book, Longsleddale, by F M Wilson, published by T Wilson, Kendal, Westmorland, 1912.
WILSON1.txt
"In the north is Rangill Head, a mountain containing fine blue slate, which was used extensively towards the end of the eighteenth century."

 directory entries

evidence:-   map:- OS Six Inch (1956) 
placename:-  Wrengill Quarry
source data:-   Map series, various editions with the national grid, scale about 6 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, scale 1 to 10560 from 1950s to 1960s, then 1 to 10000 from 1960s to 2000s, superseded by print on demand from digital data.
image
SINY4708.jpg
"Wrengill Quarry"

evidence:-   old print:- Rose 1832-35 (vol.3 no.47) 
placename:-  Long Sleddale Slate Quarry
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, Long Sleddale Slate Quarry, Westmorland, ie Wrengill Quarry, drawn by Thomas Allom, engraved by J W Lowry, published by Fisher, Son and Co, London, 1832-35.
image  click to enlarge
PR0049.jpg
vol.3 pl.47 in the set of prints, Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham and Northumberland Illustrated. 
printed at bottom left, right, centre:-  "T. Allom. / J. W. Lowry. / LONG SLEDDALE SLATE QUARRY, WESTMORLAND"
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2008.107.49
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old print:- Rose 1832-35
placename:-  Long Sleddale Slate Quarry
placename:-  Rangle Gill
source data:-   Print, hand coloured engraving, Long Sleddale Slate Quarry, Westmorland, Westmorland, by Thomas Allom, engraved by J W Lowry, 1835.
image  click to enlarge
R347.jpg
The accompanying descriptive text includes:-  "LONG SLEDDALE SLATE QUARRY,- WESTMORLAND."
"... / The extensive slate quarries are situated at Rangle Gill, near the head of the dale, and are famous both for the quality and quantity of fine blue slate which they yield. The slabs are conveyed form the quarries on the backs of ponies and asses, the roads being inaccessible to carts. In the description of Thrang Crag Slate Quarry, at page 78, the reader will find some geological particulars applicable to the present subject. / ..."
item:-  JandMN : 43
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old print:- 
source data:-   Print, uncoloured, Slate Quarry in Longsleddale, Wrengill Quarry, Longsleddale, Westmorland, drawn by Craig, engraved by Cook, published by R Wilks, 89 Chancery Lane, London, 1813.
image  click to enlarge
PR1894.jpg
"Engraved by Cook, from a Drawing by Craig. / for the Gallery of Nature & Art / SLATE QUARRY IN LONG-SLE-DALE, WESTMORELAND"
item:-  private collection : 374
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old print:- 
source data:-   Print, hand coloured, Slate Quarry in Longsleddale, Wrengill Quarry, Longsleddale, Westmorland, drawn by Craig, engraved by Cook, published by R Wilks, 89 Chancery Lane, London, 1813.
image  click to enlarge
PR1791.jpg
Included in the Gallery of Nature and Art. 
printed at bottom left, right, centre:-  "Engraved by Cook, from a Drawing by Craig / For the Gallery of Nature &Art / SLATE QUARRY IN LONG-SLE-DALE, WESTMORLAND. / London: Published by R. Wilks, 89: Chancery Lane. Dec. 1. 1813."
item:-  private collection : 343
Image © see bottom of page


JandMN : 395
photograph
BXO36.jpg  Rock, hand specimen of slate metamorphosed from tuff? from Wrengill Quarry, Longsleddale, Westmorland, NY474085, 1 March 2004.
Ordovician; Borrowdale Volcanic Group.
(taken 1.3.2004)  


photograph
BOT62.jpg (taken 4.3.2008)  
photograph
BIM26.jpg (taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BIM28.jpg (taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BIM18.jpg (taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BIM25.jpg  Engine house, and remains of a diesel engine?
(taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BIM30.jpg  Remains of dam and water pipe.
(taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BIM31.jpg  Water pipe.
(taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BIM23.jpg  Water pipe.
(taken 1.3.2004)  
photograph
BPV05.jpg  Water pipe.
(taken 17.11.2008)  

:-  
"... Between Sadgill and the Slate Quarries the rocky barriers and the huge fragments of stone which have tumbled from them furnish a grand spectacle."

Wilson 1912

hearsay:-  
The quarry was worked by italian prisoners of war, during World War II. When they were sent home the worked stopped, tools laid down, jobs half done.


Glover, David: 2014: Quarries of Lakeland: Bookcase (Carlisle, Cumbria)

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