September 25: Green Moor quarry’s heritage set in stone

YOUR story (The Yorkshire Post, September 14) relating to the stone quarries at Green Moor is amplified by documents here in my Regional History Study Centre which were recovered some years ago from the offices of an old established firm of local lawyers in South Yorkshire.

Located in Hunshelf township, the quarries achieved national recognition from the quality, large size and strength of the flagstones they produced which had been recognised by the 18th century when they were specified in 1787 for use in the new St James’s Church in Sheffield and they were recognised as competitors with the stones produced in the Elland Edge district which from 1770 had the huge benefit of cheap waterway transport for their use in paving the streets of London.

Green Moor only had the (more distant) benefit of a canal from 1804 at Worsbrough basin or 1819 at Sheffield. Railways came to serve them in 1840 and 1845 respectively.

The best stone at Green Moor was described as finely, evenly and closely grained, and in 1858 the quarries produced flags, stone landings, copings, steps, sinks, gravestones. the last quarry is claimed to have closed in 1936.