| Summary : Large quarry in the Permian Magnesian Limestone, South-West of Tadcaster. The stone is believed to have been quarried in the Tadcaster area since Roman times, and may in part explain the Roman name of the town, ie, Calcaria. The earliest documentary evidence for use of the stone is in 1184-9. In 1233 Robert de Vavasour granted to York Minster the use of his quarry at Thevesdale, Hazelwod, near Tadcaster, along with free passage over his land. Thevesdale Quarry, which is believed to be the site of the later Jackdaw Quarry, continued to supply stone to York Minster until 1423, after which it was superceded by Huddleston near Sherburn-in-Elmet. The last reference to quarrying was in 1515-6, but it was reopened in 1829 for restoration work. It supplied stone for St Leonard's Hospital and the Guildhall in York, Westminster Hall, Beverley Minster, Selby Abbey and the Cambridge Colleges. The site is still being worked. Roman works may have existed at Headley Bar, SE456413, but the Tadcaster Bypass of 1976 has probably destroyed the workings there. |