Endcliffe Quarry was last worked by hand in the early part of the 20th Century & has lain dormant ever since. But in 1999 it became the site of a prolonged battle when a nearby stone company wanted to reopen it to extract 3.2 million tonnes of stone from this & nearby Lees Cross! Unsurprisingly, there were many protests from local residents, as well as the wider rural community. Once news spread an encampment of eco-warriors sprang up across the two adjacent sites to defend the area’s landscape & wildlife from the developers. Even the nearby Nine Ladies Bronze Age stone circle was threatened by the proposed earthworks.
The protest lasted nearly 10 years & involved much legal wrangling. When threatened with eviction, the camp swelled to as many as 53 dwellings; many of which were tree houses, but there were also bivouacs or ‘benders’. Eventually the environmental lobby prevailed & the extraction rights were revoked by the Secretary of State. Now you would never know that more than 100 people lived in the trees & surrounding area for nearly a decade.
Treehouses at Endcliffe
When I was growing up, we used to come here for walks & this was our route to school at Rowsley if it was very snowy as the footpath continues on to the village. This large field is known locally as The Tar Piece, although no one can remember why. An old coach road ran through it, so this may explain the name. It is owned by the Haddon Estate & there used to be golf holes here, the greens of which can just be made out if you know where to look. My overriding childhood memory here is discovering that you don’t find currants on anthills!
You can approach this cache using the often muddy footpath. There is a place for a vehicle to pull in nearby. Watch out for muggles as this is a popular footpath, particularly with dog-walkers. This is a nano cache, but if you have forgotten your pen, you may be able to find a pencil nearby! Once found, why not take a few moments to enjoy the extensive views over Darley Dale towards Matlock & over Rowsley towards Chatsworth if you walk a little further along the path. Whilst in the area, you could also visit the caches on Stanton Moor, including Alien's Hideaway; one of the oldest around, placed way back in 2001!
Congratulations to cats-eyes for FTF!