Description and History of Site:-
The quarry remains as a tall vertical working face with extensive discard piles and internal trackways along with an access trackway from Foredale Cottages. There are fragmentary remains of dry stone structures, probably workmen's cabins, tool stores and dressing sheds.

The quarry face displays the unconformity between the steeply-dipping Silurian beds and the overlying horizontally-bedded Carboniferous Limestone. The Austwick Manor Court Book for 17 October 1692 and 15 April 1695 recorded an agreement by which one Richard Yeadon was given the rights to 'dig and get slate & Flags' (YAHS.DD91, p. 127), paying royalty on every 'gage' of 'slate, flag or flooring stone' removed. This can only have been at Combs.
Proposals for a new canal from Langcliffe to Burton-in-Lonsdale, in 1774, stressed the 'many inexhaustible quarries of blue-flags, grit flags, excellent blue-slate, and grit slate' worked at Helwith Bridge (YAHS.MS1186).
In the later 19th century stone was brought down out of the quarry to a saw mill, operated by a donkey engine immediately west of Foredale Cottages, though some was also carted to a water-powered stone sawmill at Silloth House near Austwick (SD778 691).

Advertisements in 'The Settle Chronicle' and the 'Craven Herald & Pioneer' newspaper, dated 2 April 1855, show that the 'Blue-flag or slate quarry called Combs Quarry' was up for re-letting, and that it was owned by Richard Clapham of Austwick Hall.

Further Reading and References:-
as above

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Key Words :- 'blue flag' quarry disused

Viewing the Site :- No public access within the quarry. It is visible from above on Open Access land north of Moughton Nab.

Address :- Helwith Bridge, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SD 80088 70152
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.126833 , Long -2.306184
Local Authority :- Craven District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site derelict - some buildings remaining
Site Dates :- 1st known date 1692 - early 20th century
Record Date :- 30 March 2016

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © David Johnson