After visiting South Caradon I had a wander around Caradon Hill (Gonamena) Granite Quarry. - I notice there are quite a few images on the site but was wondering about several things that I saw there.

near the working face of the quarry there are a number of metal fixings such as these:

 

 

Also elsewhere in the quarry was this large granite block with a number of metal fixings.

 


Any ideas what these were for?

Does anyone have any information on the history of the Quarry?

Online searches have revealed it has been subject to a planning application in recent years (2017) by Lantoom Ltd. Does anyone know anything of its earlier history?

Thanks

John

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I notice that there is no entry for the quarry on this site. I wonder if this is the time, if you do this you could upload your pics here, and if anyone comes up with some history that could be entered.

The URLs dont work, but this is probably a site glitch.

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Roy

There is an entry on Adit Now for this quarry as I referred to above in my original message.

https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Caradon-Quarry-Granite-Quarry_17036/ 

John

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Apologies, yes found it now. I looked before and could not see it, odd. Problem remains though with e photo links, not your fault, we have had this before.

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A good detailed survey of all the granite quarry workings on Caradon Hill was undertaken by Adam Sharpe and colleagues of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit and written up in The Minions Area, Archaeological Survey and Management , 2nd edition, 1993, Cornwall County Council. Sharpe noted that there was little documentation available to him at the time, but he lists the following workings (including Caradon Quarry):

Caradon NE Quarry
SX 2775 7097
25m by 16m in area
Linked to the L and CR's Tokenbury to Rillaton Bridge line by an inclined trackway

Caradon East Quarry
SX 2782 7065 and 250m S of Caradon NE Quarry
10m by 6m trial working

Proto Quarry, Caradon East
SX 2775 7065
7m by 6m and overburden stripped only

🅱Caradon Quarry🅱
SX 2695 7049
84m by 38m
Worked by J Sweet and Son of Liskeard from the late 19th century for dimension stone. The site has been greatly extended over the course of time and reveals survivals of several working phases, including a modified explosives store. At the time of Sharpe's survey, the quarry was still leased to Roseland Plant, but had not been worked since 1987-88.

For the full survey account of these sites, reference can be made to the original publication.

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I live a few miles from this quarry and can see it from the end of my road. There is quite often plant to be seen working on the site, they seem to be taking material from the tip. The quarry itself is used (not by me) for swimming and someone has rigged a rope for scrambling up the quarry face. The quarry looks down towards Gonamena, Gonamena Mine and Seaton Valley. There is a rough roadway which runs from the quarry to a tarmac road and down the hill into Minions village. There are other quarry workings on the hill but this is the most interesting of them.

Welcome to aditnow.

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Welcome to aditnow.

Thanks!