White Coppice Quarry

There is a small sandstone quarry at the bottom of Dean Black Brook, above White Coppice. Quarrying here probably created the waterfalls behind White Coppice although a large geological fault caused the steep hillside. The quarry itself – abandoned for a couple of centuries – extended across both banks of the river and has interesting geology and an old lead mine trial, which indicates a mineral vein was found here.

According to Lancashire RIGS Group, the sandy area to the left of the large quarried rock-face is caused by the geological fault millions of years ago. Lead ore was later deposited in the fault. Apparently there are smooth areas of rock to be found (slickensides) where the two sides of the fault slid past each-other.