DELABOLE SLATE QUARRY
Back to Balweyth page Delabole Slate Quarry is a quarry located in North Cornwall, and has been a working quarry for around 600 years. In its heydey it was one of the largest pits in Europe, and stood at around 100ft above sea level, making the overall depth at least 550ft. It now stands at 425ft deep and around a mile and a half in circumference.
Slate was formed during the Devonian period, which is thought to have been betweeen 358 and 419 million years ago. During this time slate was formed as a result of mud wearing away from the old rocks accumulated at the sea bed, meaning that Delabole along with many other places were actually under water during this time in history. Proof of this can be found in the fossils found around Delabole and in the quarry pit.
The first printed record of a slate sale at Delabole was in 1314, for a £20 purchase of slate repairs for Winchester Cathederal. it is uncertain the exact date Delabole Quarry first opened, but its likely to of been many centuries ago.
The quarry was initially made up of 5 smaller quarries, and during this time the village of Delabole was actually made up of two hamlets; Medrose and Pengelly. It wasnt until the introduction of the railway when the hamlets joined together to make ‘Delabole’, with the name being inspired by the name of the quarry company. All 5 quarries came under single control in 1842 and became known as The Old Delabole Slate Company, and then went on to become a limited company in 1898.
In 1859 it was estimated that around 1000 people were employed at the quarry and were raising 120 tons of slate a day. As the quarry grew, so did the village, and this saw the introduction of the school, chapel and other public buildings.