In Brontë Country

Industrial archaeology at Penistone Hill Country Park

With my trip to Conisbrough – to further explore the Norman castle and Saxon church - I had effectively come to the end of the places that I could readily visit without having access to a vehicle. It had been unseasonably warm and dry but it wouldn’t be long before the wet, windy and cold weather set in for the rest of the autumn and winter.

A quick stop outside the church

I therefore decided to join up with a geology group in Sheffield, which forms part of the University of the Third Age,  for retired and semi-retired people from a mainly professional background, and accompany them on their last two field trips of the year.

With the principal leaders having interests in geology, archaeology, quarrying and industrial history, I had been very impressed with the places that they had visited on their field trips. It seemed like a good group to share some ideas with and, having never been there before, I looked forward to the trip to Haworth. 

Known for its association with the Brontë sisters, the village of Haworth is extremely popular with tourists from all over the world and Main Street - which runs down an escarpment comprising Namurian mudstone and sandstone - compares to Steep Hill in Lincoln with its very steep gradient.

Dimples Quarry

The main objective was to explore the country park around Penistone Hill, in particular the old West End and Dimples quarries, which had exploited the Woodhouse Flags for building stone, and to examine its associated industrial archaeology and local history.

West End Quarry

At the end of the walk, there was a spare half an hour to explore part of the village, where there are many examples of simple houses, shops and other vernacular architecture built in the local stone - with the occasional architectural flourish.

General views of Haworth