Images from Society field trips
Shap Pink Granite Quarry in Cumbria The quarry is known for its pegmatites and miarolitic cavities which can contain anatase, galena, pyrite, sphalerite, orthoclase, molybdenite and smoky quartz, and a baryte vein which is sometimes exposed and can yield specimens of fluorite.
Bardon Hill Quarry in Leicestershire. This large quarry works the Charnwood granodiorite for roadstone and aggregate. The quarry has been operated for over 400 years and produces three million tonnes of rock per year. The basement geology of the quarry is Neoproterozoic ocean-arc andesitic volcanic complex; the Precambrian rocks were deformed by the Caledonian Orogeny and large-scale faults and folds can be seen in the quarry; the rocks include dacite, volcaniclastic breccias, phyllites in the fault zones, dioritic/granophyric dykes, and also rocks which have spherulitic textured glassy margin representing the chilled andesite. Copper mineralisation is occasionally exposed along the Triassic – Pre-Cambrian unconformity seen in some parts of the quarry.
Dig at Benallt Mine on Anglesey. This was carried out to recover unique historic material and the site was carefully restored on completion. Many of the unusual minerals found at this mine are fluorescent. Examination of the material collected yielded the following species: celsian, baryte, jacobsite, pennantite, cymrite, minor malachite, chrysocolla, chalcocite, native copper, cuprite and quartz and the rare species paracelsian, banalsite, ganophyllite and tephroite.
Coldstones Quarry in Yorkshire. Coldstones Quarry, situated on Greenhow Hill at 1400 feet above sea level, is one of the highest quarries in Britain. It provides an average of 600,000 tons of aggregate each year, and supplies building materials into West and North Yorkshire. Two mineral veins are periodically exposed in the quarry: Coldstones Sun Vein and Garnet Vein. Minerals commonly found include baryte, calcite, fluorite and galena and associated supergene minerals such as cerussite and anglesite.
Diana Maria mine in Weardale. This is a commercial specimen recovery mine operated by UK Mining Ventures Ltd. The workings have been developed on the outcrop of the old Sutcliffe Vein in Rogerley Quarry. This had only been very briefly worked by Lindsay Greenbank and Michael Sutcliffe back in the 1970’s and the new operation was named the Diana Maria mine (after Diana Bruce) and this, together with Rogerley mine, is now operated throughout the entire year. The operation produces large quantities of world-class fluorite specimens
High Longrigg mine Cumbria. The workings of High or Higher Longrigg mine form a series of largely overgrown shallow opencast trials on several small veins in the Great Scar limestone. The vein infilling is of baryte accompanied by fluorite and calcite. Primary ore minerals are galena and chalcopyrite which show alteration to various supergene species.
Minera. This mineral mining field lies to the west of Wrexham and exploited a series of lead-zinc veins. The area is well-known for bright orange sphalerite and purple fluorite amongst other species.
