19th Century Tunnel under the Incline at Musbury Heights Quarry by munki-boy

Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin)

The old quarries on Musbury Heights a relatively shallow working the Haslingden Flags off the top of the hill plateau. The Musbury Heights quarry does cover a large area and appears to have started in the early 19th Century at the north side of the site along the top of the steep edge overlooking the valley.

The quarries expanded in a southerly direction with the earlier portions backfilled with rubble which was also used to construct various building and stone huts, the best-known being the early 20th Century chimney which still stands at the site of the main quarry buildings, constructed in the latter half of the 19th Century. Various tramways led around the site at various to carry stone round to the quarry buildings and an “incline” or long ramp constructed to take the tramway down to the valley below and along the other side of Holden Wood Reservoir - Ogden not having been constructed at the time -to a train line at Haslingden. An interesting feature of the incline is a small, stone and wood-shored tunnel transverse to the incline which allowed access to Higher Scars which would have been cut-off after construction of the Ogden Reservoir.

The site is very interesting to explore but the loose rubble can be dangerous to navigate and there are a few deep cavities where rubble has settled against old quarry faces. There are well-trodden footpaths across the site and much can be seen without venturing off.

Created: 29  December  2019  Edited: 29  November  2023

Old Tramway at Musbury Heights Quarry
Early 20th Century Chimney at Musbury Heights Quarry
Hole in the Chimney at Musbury Heights Quarry
Quarry Bulding Ruins at Musbury Heights
Rubble from the Old Quarry Overflowing Musbury Heights
Old Tramway leading to the Quarry Building Ruins on Musbury Heights
Quarry Building Ruins and Chimney on Musbury Heights
Levelled Path through the Quarries at Musbury Heights
Machine Plinth in the Quarry Ruins at Musbury Heights
Ruined Quarry Buildings above the Incline at Musbury Heights Quarry
Top of the Inlcine at Musbury Heights Quarry
Lower Part of the Incline at Musbury Heights Quarry
The Old Tramway Incline at Musbury Heights Quarry
Map of Musbury Heights Quarries in the 1920s

Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin)

Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin) LiDAR Map

A LiDAR Map showing the area around Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0

Walks in Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin)

Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin) map

Musbury Heights Quarry (ruin) UK Map