Thornton Quarry

A church member who has a predilection for old quarries was delighted to be shown the old limestone quarry at Thornton in Craven, just a couple of miles from my home, this spring.

P. W. Spencer’s Thornton Limestone Works was operational until the 1920s or 30s, though I cannot find a date of opening. A single-track railway serving the quarry left the Skipton-Colne line in order to transport the precious building material. Today it is flooded with a blue-green water, with flowering hawthorns growing out of its steep sides. A narrow path led down to the bottom with a tied rope to assist ascension though we middle-aged men knew our limitations and elected to enjoy the sight from above.

Despite being a stone’s throw from the busy Colne-Skipton road, its height and seclusion amid the trees keep it a secret; upon discovering it, one is surprised that a place so dramatic and beautiful exists so close by. 

The Kingdom of Heaven is so far away that a lifetime’s journeying through space could never even approach it; for the redeemed child of God, however, it is but one breath away. Our loved ones may have gone before, leaving our homes and lives feeling emptier for their absence, yet they, and the fabulous glory amidst which they now live, might be hidden - but it is always nearer than we think.

So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Luke 21:31

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