View source for De Lank Quarries

{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Short description|Quarry and Site of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall, England}}{{Infobox place
| name                     = De Lank Quarries, Hantergantick
| image_skyline            = De Lank Quarries, Hantergantick - geograph.org.uk - 278119.jpg
| coordinates              = 
}}

'''De Lank Quarries''' ({{gbmapping|SX101753}}) is an active quarry<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.mindat.org/loc-222158.html |title= De Lank Quarry, St Breward, Cornwall, England, UK |date= 2021 |publisher= mindat.org  |access-date= 6 June 2021}}</ref> and a 54-acre [[geological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] in [[St Breward]] parish, north [[Cornwall]], England, UK. The quarry, which received its [[SSSI notification]] in 1994, takes its name from the nearby [[De Lank river]]. The quarry  produces typical [[biotite]] [[granite]]s and are of such quality that a slab now forms the base section of the reception desk at the [[Geological Society of London]].<ref>Robinson E (2007) ''Desk Job'', Geoscientist 17(5), 10-11, {{ISSN|0961-5628}}</ref> Other notable structures built of De Lank granite are the fourth [[Eddystone Lighthouse]], 1882; the [[Royal Opera House]] in Covent Garden, London and [[Portcullis House]],the New Parliamentary Building in Whitehall, London <ref>Cornish Mining Development Association (2007) ''Annual Report for 2006''</ref>

==Geology==

De Lank quarry is located on the edge of the [[igneous]] rocks that form the majority of [[Bodmin moor]], with the change to [[slate]] formations occurring less than {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} to the west. The bedrock 
in the quarry is [[granite]], predominantly biotite-bearing granites and [[aplogranite]] with some [[felsite]] intrusions.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/data/britrocks/britrocks.cfc?method=viewSamples&sampleId=122482 |title= BGS mineralogy and petrology collection record |date= 1979 |website= British Geological Survey |publisher= United Kingdom Research and Innovation |access-date= 6 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/home.html |title= Geoindex onshore |date= 2020 |website= British Geological Survey |publisher= United Kingdom Research and Innovation |access-date= 6 June 2021}}</ref>

==History==
In the 1950s the quarry was owned by T W Ward & Son Ltd.{{sfn|Fairclough|Wills|1979|pp=68-69}}

From the 1890s until 1950 there was a connection from the quarry to the [[Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway|Bodmin and Wadebridge railway]] at [[Wenfordbridge]].{{sfn|Fairclough|Wills|1979|pp=68-69}} To achieve this one of the sidings at Wenfordbridge extended on a sharp curve across a road and then over several fields before going down a rope-worked incline to the quarry below. Originally horses were used to haul wagons on this private line from Wenfordbridge, but between 1926 and 1950 it was worked by an 0-4-0 simplex locomotive.<REF name=IRS>{{cite book |last= Hateley |first= Roger |title= Industrial Locomotives of South Western England |publisher= Industrial Railway Society |location = Greenford |year= 1977 |page = H.4 |isbn= 0 901096 23 7}}</REF> The incline had three rails with the centre rail common between the upward and downward lines, and worked on the balance principle with the weight of the wagons going down the slope acting to haul the upward-bound wagons. Use of the incline, and despatch of stone via the railway, ceased around 1940, although the line was not officially closed until 1950.{{sfn|Fairclough|Wills|1979|pp=68-69}}<ref>{{cite book |last= Stretton |first= John |title= The Bodmin and Wenford Railway |publisher= Past & Present Publishing |location= Kettering |year= 1999 |page= 46 |isbn= 1-85895-135-6}}</ref>

Within the quarry itself there was a {{RailGauge|2ft}} line which brought stone to the foot of the incline. In 1961 a small 0-4-0 petrol-engined locomotive was purchased from Tregoneeves Quarry near [[St Austell]] when it closed, and in 1963 an 0-4-0 diesel locomotive was also acquired. However neither the petrol locomotive, an [[Orenstein & Koppel]] of 1930s vintage, or the diesel appear to have been a success and both were scrapped in December 1965.<REF name=IRS />

==References==

===Citations===
<references/>

===References===
*{{cite book | last1=Fairclough | first1=Anthony |last2=Wills |first2=Alan  |title=Bodmin and Wadebridge 1834 - 1978 | publisher=Bradford Barton | year=1979 | location=Truro | isbn = 0  85153 343 4 }}

===See also===
* {{cite web|title=De Lank Quarries |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/2000099.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |access-date=6 August 2006 |year=1994 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315163259/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/2000099.pdf |archive-date=15 March 2007 }}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060813070641/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/ English Nature website] (SSSI information)
* https://web.archive.org/web/20130217083352/http://www.silvergreygranite.com/  (Company website)

{{Portal|Cornwall}}
{{Cornwall}}
{{SSSIs Cornwall geological}}
{{coord|50.54655|N|4.68173|W|region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(SX101753)|display=title}}<!-- Note: WGS84 lat/long, converted from OSGB36 grid ref -->

[[Category:Bodmin Moor]]
[[Category:Geology of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Mines in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Quarries in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1994]]