Chalk quarries and flint

[mikekeswick]

Hi all, i'm looking for a source of flint for knapping arrowheads, knifes etc.. I've been knapping for quite a while now and was given a load of perfect flint when I started, the problem is all thats gone now.....The best flint comes from under the ground where it hasn't been exposed to freezing etc...so i've been recommended to goto chalk quarries where the flint is a by-product. I've done a good bit of searching but keep coming to dead ends! I'm hoping that some of you may know of these ellusive quarries! I live near Darlington and know that I will have to travel a good way south but I don't mind as long as I can fill my car...
Many thanks

 

[HillBill]

I think the majority, if not all are down south mate. I'm going to salisbury this weekend and i'm hoping to find myself some aswell. If i locate a good source i'll load the car up and your welcome to some if you want to collect it from West Yorks.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Are you going via stonehenge HB? the fields will have been ploughed on the plain by now so you should find lots of good nodules, if you want some places to park round there let me know!

 

[HillBill]

We will be visiting Stonehenge as i've never visited the site, so its on my to do list.

Is parking a problem down there? My girlfriend will be doing the driving as her family live down that way.

Are you going via stonehenge HB? the fields will have been ploughed on the plain by now so you should find lots of good nodules, if you want some places to park round there let me know!

 

[Pandabean]

How about heading east? I remember doing a geological field trip down the NE of England Coast and there was an area we came to that had chalk cliffs and quite a bit of flint. I can roughly remember it being somewhere south of Sunderland to somewhere around Whitby.

There was certainly a very large quarry we visited one day but they were mainly interested in the sands that they could dig out.

 

[Toddy]

Yeah, me too. Geography field trip. The Yorkshire coastline is eroding at over 10m a year and the flint nodules are just dropping out of the soil. Glacial debris iirc.
I know the archaeology students among us added tonnes of the stuff to our luggage

I can probably find the field notes someplace; Robby might mind though, he was on the same trip and brought some home too.

cheers,
M

 

[Toddy]

Holderness, the fastest eroding coastline in Europe.
http://urbanrim.org.uk/Skipsea.htm

It's good flint, and has been used since the mesolithic for tools
http://www2.hull.ac.uk/science/waerc/origins/holderness.aspx

Among the glacial erratics you can also find pyrites nodules........I'd happily barter for one or two if anyone's lucky enough to come across some

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Retired Member southey]

ah cool , no not if your going to visit the stones it wont be, keep your eye on the fields around for good bits of flint, I grew up in Amesbury and was born in Salisbury, love it round there, now stuck in hog filled Hampshire, when you pull into the car park to your left will be a byway, if you have a drive\walk up it you will find flint all along the edges, we have picked up some good sized lumps there, the track it pretty flat and hard packed, and a great way to explore the area around the monument,

 

[HillBill]

Cheers Southey.

Amesbury sounds familiar, i just text Rachael and Amesbury is where her grandparents live who we're visiting

Will take your advice mate, thanks

ah cool , no not if your going to visit the stones it wont be, keep your eye on the fields around for good bits of flint, I grew up in Amesbury and was born in Salisbury, love it round there, now stuck in hog filled Hampshire, when you pull into the car park to your left will be a byway, if you have a drive\walk up it you will find flint all along the edges, we have picked up some good sized lumps there, the track it pretty flat and hard packed, and a great way to explore the area around the monument,

 

[yomperalex]

The Ridgeway area and the chilterns.

Alex

 

[fishfish]

I think the majority, if not all are down south mate. I'm going to salisbury this weekend and i'm hoping to find myself some aswell. If i locate a good source i'll load the car up and your welcome to some if you want to collect it from West Yorks.

mate theres a chalk quarry off the A36 just outside the town on the Wilton side,ime sure thay will help,failing that try the disused (and open to public) chalk quarry at Harnham up carrion pond drove,literally tonnes there for free.

 

[spandit]

I'll be bringing back some silex from the Loire Valley next week if anyone is interested (very close to Grand Pressigny)

 

[HillBill]

Cheers Fish, much appreciated mate.

I'll be sure to check those out

mate theres a chalk quarry off the A36 just outside the town on the Wilton side,ime sure thay will help,failing that try the disused (and open to public) chalk quarry at Harnham up carrion pond drove,literally tonnes there for free.

 

[adestu]

gentlemen
for a few months now i've been sending chunks of flint to those less fortunate to not have it naturally in their area.only to have the postage cost covered and or a swap for my time.happy to help anyone interested
cheers ade

 

[HillBill]

mate theres a chalk quarry off the A36 just outside the town on the Wilton side,ime sure thay will help,failing that try the disused (and open to public) chalk quarry at Harnham up carrion pond drove,literally tonnes there for free.

Just got back from the Harnham site. Got myself maybe 70kg of good Flint. All I could carry in my pack. Would have more if I could have got the car to the quarry itself.

Cheers Fish