Tyne and Wear HER(4250): Kenton, Kenton Quarry - Details
4250
Newcastle
Kenton, Kenton Quarry
Kenton
NZ26NW
Industrial
Stone Extraction Site
Quarry
Early Modern
C19
Documentary Evidence
Kenton Quarry. Described by Welford in 1879 as 'a valuable quarry of Grindstone post'. Stone from Kenton was used to build St. Thomas' Church, the town hall, the chapels and walls at Jesmond Cemetery and other public buildings in Newcastle. Millstones or grindstones were exported from the Tyne for centuries, with Kenton one of the main suppliers. Kenton Quarry is described on old maps as a Freestone Quarry (freestone is a fine grained sandstone that cuts easily). Before 1920 the quarry expanded eastwards changing the route of Engine Lane (now Creighton Avenue) into a sharp curve.
2213
6764
NZ22136764
<< HER 4250 >> 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map, 1898, 6 inch scale, Northumberland, 88, SW; R. Welford, 1879, A History of the Parish of Gosforth; Liz Palmer, 1993, Bygone Kenton, photos 10 and 11