Report of the Knaresbrough Rail-way Committee | Page 8

&c.
Blocks of this kind may be had of large dimensions. Another kind of
stone is found at Wilsill, in quality similar to that at Birstwith, but may
be risen in much larger blocks. When the Ouse-bridge at York was
building, in 1818, the contractors for, or the inspectors of that work, got

some stone from this neighbourhood for the piers, and by a letter from
Mr. William Craven, one of the inspectors, there is no doubt of its
being fit for any kind of public works, as bridges, locks, &c. The
expense of land carriage from the quarry to Ripon was the sole cause
why a greater quantity was not made use of.
There is another kind of stone found a little way above Pateley-bridge,
well adapted for flags, window heads and soles, staircases, landings,
tomb-stones, and grind-stones; but owing to the beds being thin, it is
not well adapted for general building purposes.
At Fellbeck, near Smelthouse-mill, a slate quarry has lately been
opened, which produces a slate of a darker colour than that of Idle, is
very sound, lays well on, and will probably improve in fineness, if
pursued to a greater depth. A ton of it will cover about ten square yards.
Another Slate-Quarry, at Bouthwaite, near Pateley-Bridge, has recently
been discovered; the produce of which is much superior to that of Idle;
a ton of it will cover about 14 square yards.
All this stone and slate is immediately upon the adopted line, or can be
brought to it for 4.25d. per foot, which, with the expense of carriage to
Bolton-Percy will cost at that place as below:--
Pounds s. d. Rail-dues 30 0 3 1.5 miles, at 1.25d. per ton per mile
Waggon-dues, 0 3 1.5 do. do. 0 6 3 Calculating 16 0 0 4.75 feet of this
stone to weigh one ton, it appears the carriage of each foot will cost
And the 0 0 4.25 original cost delivered on the line Cost of this 0 0 9
stone at Bolton-Percy per foot
Which if necessity requires, may experience a little reduction. At this
time the Bramley-fall stone delivered at Selby, costs 1s. per foot; and at
York during the building of Ouse-bridge it cost from 15d. to 16d.

STONE FOR HIGHWAYS.
This is found in immense quantities at Greenhow-hill, distant from

Pateley-bridge two miles, it resembles a grey flint; the road from
Pateley-bridge to Skipton is principally composed of it; it is hard but
easily broken small, and after a little using almost resembles one entire
stone; its use and extraordinary properties are not known to a great
distance, particularly towards Ripon or Ripley; this may be accounted
for in two ways--first, the hills in either direction are long and steep;
and 2dly, other materials are just at hand, of a quality sufficient for a
road where the forbidding ascents deny the frequent passing of heavy
carriages.
This stone has been compared to that at Middleton-Tyas, near
Richmond, and when analysed is found to be exactly of the same
quality, although a little lighter in colour; it was compared to this
merely to prove a corresponding property.
For it is a certain fact, that the Middleton-Tyas stone has been for some
time, and is now, carted from the quarry to Northallerton and Brompton,
distant 14 and 15 miles, for the use of their highways, at an expence of
8s. 2d. per ton to the former, and 9s. to the latter place. This fact is the
more remarkable, since there has been a quarry open for many years,
within 200 yards of Northallerton, but the stone is only of a common
kind. From this circumstance, it is fair to expect, that provided the
stone of Greenhow-hill can be delivered at Bolton-Percy for 6s. 6d. per
ton, and at Cawood, Selby, Booth-Ferry, and Howden for 8s. it will
both become an article of tonnage in a descending direction, and a great
acquisition to that district; but as that neighbourhood has never been in
the habit of paying such a high price for highway materials, it will
probably in the first instance meet with many objections, which may be
replied to in two ways--1st, that whatever is worth doing, is worth well
doing; and that the best materials are the cheapest;--and 2dly, if the
surveyors and overseers of Northallerton and Brompton have, by their
experience, established the above fact, and found this stone cheaper
than that at home, it is reasonable to conclude that the surveyors and
overseers of the highways in the neighbourhood of Cawood, Selby, and
Howden, may do the same; for the soil of that district is equally fertile
and rich as that of Northallerton; and the occupiers of it equally
opulent--hence their ability to do well whatever is worth doing.

The expense