CHARNEY HALL The Quarry

Just to the north west of Charney cricket field was a small limestone quarry. Some of us once ventured into the site where two dusty old men explained to us the principles of open cut quarrying. 

First a line of holes, 6” apart, were hand drilled vertically into the limestone slab. The holes, which were over 1” in diameter, were formed by dropping a long steel bar, which had a cruciform toothed end, onto the top of the stone until it cut a hole over 12” deep. 

Each hole looked as though it would have taken many days to drill and we could not imagine the strength, patience and commitment that this hard labour required. It was beyond our comprehension. And for what remuneration?

Once the requisite holes were finished we were told that sticks of dynamite were dropped in, a controlled explosion was created thus releasing a section of bed rock. The same method of cutting smaller limestone sections would be used except steel wedges were substituted for the dynamite. More brute force was required as the wedges had to be hammered down into the rock to create the tension which would eventually split the stone.

Charley and Herbert’s never ending labours cutting the grass on the Charney playing fields and maintaining the kitchen garden seemed hard enough but this labour of love was one step beyond reality. 

We gave our thanks and left the site in full knowledge that to be a quarryman would definitely not be included on our list of career options!