The Coldstones Cut

The area of Greenhow Hill has a long history of industrial use as it was a major area for lead mining, dating back 2000 years to the Roman period and reaching its peak during the 18th and 19th centuries.

In September 2010 an installation was opened at Coldstones Quarry that came about through a partnership between Nidderdale Visual Arts, Hanson Aggregates and the sculptor Andrew Sabin. That installation was The Coldstones Cut, a cultural and aesthetic response to the industrial stone and aggregate extraction going on in the adjacent quarry.

Sabin envisaged a huge, monolithic walk-through using materials sourced from the site in order to win the competitive tender, and funding for the work was secured through a series of grants from the likes of the Arts Council England, Natural England and Yorkshire Forward regional development agency. Labour and materials were supplied by Hanson Aggregates.

Visitors approach via the car park at Toft Gate Lime Kiln and climb up a path leading up Greenhow Hill. The sculpture is visible on the ridge line, giving the impression of a castle. On arrival at its entrance, you are transported into a canyon like space with huge stone walls either side of you that focus the view on the sky beyond. There is a central roundabout feature where you can choose to continue straight on or turn left or right to climb a spiralling path to two viewpoints.

The viewpoints give 360-degree views over the surrounding Nidderdale landscape and there are interpretation panels pointing out the local flora and fauna and points of interest. Returning to the roundabout you can then carry on towards the quarry viewing terrace.

As its name suggests, this is a large open terrace with views over the working quarry below. Coldstones Quarry is one the of the highest active limestone quarries in Great Britain and from this vantage point you can watch the huge dump trucks, which look tiny, transport the stone to crushing plants and out for use round the country.

The installation is a spectacular piece and sits perfectly in the landscape through its use of local materials. It provides a link from the present to the past through its location close to Toft Gate Lime Kiln where limestone was burned to produce quicklime for agricultural use. It also provides some protection from the high winds and unpredictable weather that the area is known for. On our visit it was so windy you could barely hear yourself think or stand upright!