Stoop and room, Middleton Quarry and Mine, Gorebridge. Midlothian.

BGS image ID: P000178

Middleton Quarry and Mine, Gorebridge. Midlothian.

Stoop and room (pillar and stall) is an old method of mining where the material, in this case limestone is extracted leaving pillars of limestone in place to support the roof.

Interior view of the mine illustrating the method of extraction. A figure in the centre of the image illustrates the scale. Mining the North Greens (No. 2) Limestone. The thickness of the seam is 50 ft. though only the lower 20 ft. is in massive beds and suitable for mining. Chemical analysis shows it is 94.09% calcium carbonate and is of uniform high quality. The limestone was burnt in vertical, continuous mixed-feed kilns to produce lime for both agriculture and building purposes. Ground limestone was also produced. The rocks are of the Lower Limestone Group of the Carboniferous period. The quarry is now disused.

Date of image: 1945.

Bob McIntosh