A typical scene at Thrislington. The machines on top of the face are used to bore the holes for the explosive charges used to blast the rock from the face. The dump truck then takes his load to be processed.
Each controlled blast of rock is about 5,000 tonnes and the quarry faces or 'benches' are about 12 metres deep. The expolsive used is a mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.
Thrislington Quarry was opened in the early 1950's and extracts Magnesian Limestone (Dolomite) from the earth. The site has had several owners since then, including Steetley and Redland, but is now operated by Lafarge Aggregates, a French company.
1.6 million tonnes of Dolomite is extracted anually, and is used in the roadmaking and building industries. 80% of this is used within a 30 mile radius of the quarry site. The site currently covers 254 acres (the size of 130 football pitches) and has reserves on 24.5 million tonnes. There are 8 miles of boundary fence.
View Thrislington Quarry from all angles
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Turn back to face a dump truck | |
More information...
Eric Thompson Watercolours of Ferryhill
Ferryhill Street Map
The Ferryhill and Chilton Chapter - Our Free Newspaper
The North East Forum - Ferryhill Section
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© Copyright Dave O'Hara 2008. Last updated 9 June 2008.
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