The Whinfell Quarry Garden

A general view of the Whinfell Quarry Garden

As a start to my planned exploration of the Sheffield Round Walk in the early spring 2017, my trip to Ecclesall Woods had gone as planned; however, my next day out – 10 days later – didn't work out the way that I had intended. To cut a long story short, my bus didn't turn up and, through a subsequent mix up with the bus timetables, an intended leisurely walk down the Porter Valley turned into a bit of a slog, with two planned trips turning into one.

The geology around Whinfell Quarry Garden

On what had turned into a very sunny and warm day, after having had to unexpectedly walk  2 kilometres to Whirlow, I finally arrived at the Whinfell Quarry Garden – an old quarry in the Rough Rock that had been worked for flagstones up until the last part of the 19th century and which is now being restored by the Friends of Whinfell.

An exposure of the Rough Rock

Given the change to my plans, I only briefly explored the gardens and didn't examine the rock exposures closely but the old quarry faces are quite extensive and are easily accessible, without disturbing the plants. It provides good examples of the flaggy Rough Rock, which I had only previously seen in the stream bed of Limb Brook and at the Langsett Bank Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS), 20 years previously.

An exposure of flaggy beds of the Rough Rock in an old quarry face

In Sheffield city centre, however, the massive gritty varieties of Rough Rock from Huddersfield – Crosland Hill and Rockingstone – have been used in such urban landscaping developments as Sheaf Square and Tudor Square, as well as extensively for paving. These are often included in educational walks around the city, organised by members of the Sheffield Area Geology Trust and others, and the Whinfell Quarry Garden therefore provides an opportunity to compare the physical characteristics of the Rough Rock in two very different environments.

A general view of Whinfell Quarry Garden

As also demonstrated at the Quarry Garden at Brodsworth Hall, imaginative landscaping projects like this can be very attractive and Whinfell Quarry Garden is known for its rhododendrons and redwood trees. Although, towards the end of March, the various flora could not be seen at their best, I can imagine that this place looks wonderful at the height of spring and summer and it would make a good stopping point for lunch, as part of a Sheffield U3A Geology Group field trip – a walk down the Limb Valley from Ringinglow to Beauchief. 

A group of students relaxing at Whinfell Quarry Garden