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Sandstone

Small amounts of minerals have been worked in Hartshorne since the Middle ages. One of the first was sandstone rocks for building materials used in churches and manor houses. The largest stone quarry is now called Carvers Rocks. In other parts of the parish, sand was extracted and there were other small sandstone quarries.

The last working quarry, off Gravelly Hill near Brook Street, closed in the 1970's.

Coal

Another mineral worked in Hartshorne was coal but only in small quantities as the majority of the coal seams had been washed out only 4 remained being about 2-3 feet thick. These outcropped on the East of Manchester Lane and on the South in the area called Goseleys near Woodville. They then dipped to the West getting deeper and then disappeared at around 80 yards near Sandcliffe Road/Nether Hall Lane.

In the Middle ages small Bell Pits and drifts were used to mine these seams, one reminder of one area of very small scale mining is the lane called Slack Lane to the North East of Manchester Lane. These seams also carried on into the Smisby/Ticknall, Staunton Harold coalfield, again very small and worked out by the early 1800's. A reminder of this era is the road called Coal Lane leading to Ticknall Road.

Small mines were worked in the White Hollows, Pistern Hills, Southwood, Staunton Harold and Heath End area. Some of this coal was transported via Coal Lane to Hartshorne.

Clay

The only other mineral worked was clay. A number of small potteries were situated on the South side of the parish near Woodville and the A50 at Midway. One area where coal and clay seams outcropped to the surface was Goseley and when houses were built in 1997/8 on Goseley Estate small Bell pits were uncovered. The street is now called Bell Lane.

Source: Mr Alan E Sherratt, Hartshorne - An Historical Collection, p 5-6.

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