QUARRYING

Experience of the Quarries circa 1920
 

 

Killibrig Quarry first started operation in 1887 and was situated beside Close Lea, cut into the hillside next to what is now known as Slack's Planting. It  had a reputation throughout the north east for it's fine quality stone. The engine foundations still exist and the chimney was pulled down in the1980's, one hundred years after the quarry was opened.

The stone was carried in wagons, down the incline from the quarry, to the corner of the Close House cricket ground and then eastwards through Heddon Colliery pit yard and to the jetty for transporting down the river.

A large quarry and two smaller ones were also worked on the north side of the common, by Messrs Hunters, stone masons of Houghton. Stone from these quarries was used in the construction of Wylam Institute and Saint Mary's Church, Throckley.

All quarrying in the village ended about 1930. The two large quarries were used by the local authority as landfill sites and were completed in about 1980.

 

(Click the image to see a
larger version)

 

Entrance to the Killibrig quarry as it is today

 

Looking out over the larger quarry on the north side of the village, which has been used as a landfill site