Green Moor Quarry

The Green Moor RIGS on the Hunshelf Heritage Trail

As part of their activities, the South Yorkshire RIGS Group highlighted the best geology in the county and linked to other environmental and educational initiatives but, as often happens with voluntary organisations, their continuing development is dependent on the passion and hard work of a few individuals. Once the support of key members from the local authorities had been withdrawn, the impetus of the group was lost and, by 2001, it was effectively inactive.

In 2006, still being nominally the Chairman of the group and the sole point of contact for the very occasional enquiries, mainly from large companies who wanted information for free, I was very surprised to receive a phone call from the parish council in respect of Green Moor Quarry.

The Green Moor Quarry RIGS - 1996

The Rock Inn public house had closed and, having been purchased and with a planning application made to build houses on the site, I was asked to offer some advice on the protection of the RIGS. Having just received copies of “Geological Conservation – A Guide to Good Practice", “Local Sites – Guidance on their Identification, Selection and Management” and Planning Policy Guidance 9 through the post, which address biodiversity and geological conservation in the planning system of the UK, I was intrigued and thought that it might lead to some work.

Green Moor Quarry - 2006

It had been ten years since I had visited this site, which at the time was mostly overgrown, except for a large projecting spur of rock that formed the only example of Greenmoor Rock that had been identified in the village. On a sunny August day, the old quarry face appeared even more overgrown than before but, now that the current legislation required some enhancement of the geological features - as part of any redevelopment - I thought that it might be possible to clear the area around the rock spur and provide public access along the rock face, behind the estate.

Green Moor Delph

Unknown to me, the parish council had taken the initiative to mark some of the points of interest around the village with bronze plaques - as part of the Hunshelf Heritage Trail. When walking around the village, I discovered Green Moor Delph, another old quarry that was owned by the parish, with playing fields, well established paths and seating areas. It also has an old quarry face that provides a much better example of the Greenmoor Rock than the Green Moor Quarry RIGS.