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Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie F,S,A,

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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 217
 Date Entered 29/05/2011
 Updated on 19/12/2013
 Recorded by Alan and Judith Mills
 Category Mining Related
 Record Type Mining
 SWAAG Site Name 
 Site Type 
 Site Name 
 Site Description 
 Site Access Public Access Land
 Record Date 28/05/2011
 Location Whaw Edge
 Civil Parish Arkengarthdale
 Brit. National Grid NY 98823 02746
 Altitude 1650ft approx
 Geology Crow Chert
 Record Name Hungry Hushes Chert Quarries
 Record Description The Hungry Hushes Chert Quarries were in operation from around 1932 until 1950. The main workings were in three underground levels. The chert was extracted as blocks, in the form of 'pavers' and 'runners' and used in the potteries to crush flint to make porcelain. For a full description of the process see Jackson. The blocks were taken down a steep embankment, presumably on bogies on rails, to a loading and final dressing area (NY 98844 02830). A double-acting incline, using the weight of descending bogies to haul the empty ones up, led downhill to a loading platform on the Arkengarthdale road, near CB Yard. Evidence on the ground suggests that there was an earlier loading area ( at NY 98806 02855) with an earlier tramway (visible at NY 98809 02849) leading to it. The men referred to themselves as quarrymen rather than miners. Their tools were sharpened and bogies repaired at the Smithy (NY 98763 02788) high above the loading area. See British Mining No.53 "The Arkengarthdale Mines", L.O. Tyson, p88ff and British Mining No. 90 "50 Years of Mining History", p121ff, "Chert quarrying in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale", Kay Jackson. This latter paper is available to members only in abbreviated form on this website.
 Dimensions 
 Geographical area 
 Species 
 Scientific Name 
 Common / Notable Species 
 Tree and / or Stem Girth 
 Tree: Position / Form / Status 
 Tree Site ID 0
 Associated Site SWAAG ID 0
 Additional Notes By S. Eastmead: Most, probably all gravity acting tramways of this type have a double track. There is no evidence for this, although a short passing bay mid-way cannot be eliminated. They did provide a small engine in a shed perhaps slight more than 50% of the total distance from the quarry to the road. This would not have been necessary if it was a gravity tramway. It seems more likely that the braking drum at the top of the incline controlled the loaded wagons perhaps all the way to the road, or at least to the engine house. The engine could have been used to power the wagons along the relatively flat lower section and pulling the empty wagons back up the incline. The total length to the later workings is approximately 998m. Halfway would therefore be 499m from the top. The engine house is thought to be located approximately 563m from the top, and the earlier workings met the lower common section at approximately 176m from the top. It is at, or just below this junction that there is a short wider section of flat land that could theoretically have been used for a short length of double track to allow wagons to pass. See image 18.
 Image 1 ID 706         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description Band of blue chert in middle of picture
 Image 2 ID 707         Click image to enlarge
 Image 2 Description Leading to a chert level entrance, now collapsed (NY 98823 02746)
 Image 3 ID 708         Click image to enlarge
 Image 3 Description Another chert level entrance nearby; also collapsed
 Image 4 ID 709         Click image to enlarge
 Image 4 Description Looking down the embankment to the loading area & incline / tramway
 Image 5 ID 713         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description Remains of the Smithy
 Image 6 ID 712         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description Initials on outside of Smithy
 Image 7 ID 711         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description Embankment from near Smithy
 Image 8 ID 705         Click image to enlarge
 Image 8 Description Looking up the embankment
 Image 9 ID 715         Click image to enlarge
 Image 9 Description Remains of building at top of incline which housed the wooden drum & brake
 Image 10 ID 714         Click image to enlarge
 Image 10 Description Embankment with building from image 9 in foreground
 Image 11 ID 701
 Image 11 Description Chert spoil near top of incline
 Image 12 ID 704
 Image 12 Description Spoil near top of incline
 Image 13 ID 702
 Image 13 Description Looking down the incline from the loading area
 Image 14 ID 710
 Image 14 Description Possibly the route of the original incline / tramway
 Image 15 ID 739
 Image 15 Description A very small section of intact flue found at NY 99097 02863
 Image 16 ID 740
 Image 16 Description A very small section of intact flue found at NY 99097 02863
 Image 17 ID 741
 Image 17 Description A very small section of intact flue found at NY 99097 02863
 Image 18 ID 4442
 Image 18 Description Google Earth Chert Tramway - see Additional Notes
 Image 19 ID 4897
 Image 19 Description Lidar Image of Mouldside showing smelt mill flues and the chert tramway. © Environment Agency copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
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