Surrey county equivalent of a tin mine derelict lime works tower hidden by the trees stand against skyline


The Grey or Middle Chalk outcrops above the villages of Brockham and Betchworth, forming the huge tree-covered bulk of Box Hill, rising to 735' (224m) at its peak. Below this is the Lower Chalk and deeper down are seams of hearthstone, a white sandstone which was sold as a domestic agent for whitening stone hearths, doorsteps and window sills, upper greensand and Gault clay. Some of these deposits have been worked for almost as long as humans have inhabited this area, but the most intensive exploitation of the hill for its minerals began in the 19th century when two neighbouring quarries came to dominate the landscape, leaving huge white scars which could be seen from over twenty miles away.


Size: 6144px × 4088px
Photo credit: © Yon Marsh / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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