Bardon Hill Quarries
1858-1918 An Introduction Part 1
William Marshall in his 1798 General Survey, from personal
experience, observation, and enquiry of the Rural Economy of
England tells his readers that there abounded in Leicestershire
‘yeomanry of the higher class’ who had ‘travelled much and mixed
constantly with one another’. The 19th century development of the
Leicestershire quarries of Bardon Hill and Croft owes much to the
initiative and resourcefulness of this local yeomanry of the higher
class, as represented by the Ellises, Everards, and Pochins,
nonconformist in their religious sympathies and liberal in their
politics.
The earliest known printed reference to quarrying at Bardon Hill
seems to be in the topographer William Burton’s 1622 Description of
Leicester Shire. The commercial development of Bardon Hill stone,
however, was made possible by the opening in 1833 of the Leicester
and Swannington Railway, the first steam-worked public railway
conveying both passengers and freight in the Midlands. The success
of the line was largely due to the initiative and enterprise of the
Ellis family of Beaumont Leys, who were active Quakers. George and
Robert Stephenson were consultants in building the railway and at
its opening the first train carried banners promising cheap coal
and granite, warm hearths and good roads. The granite for the good
roads was to come from Bardon and other local quarries.
The Leicester and Swannington Railway prospered and in 1845 it
was purchased by the Midland Railway and the Ellis influence
expanded correspondingly. John Ellis became MP for Leicester, Mayor
of the borough, and Chairman of the Board of the Midland Railway.
His son, Edward Shipley Ellis, became chairman of the Midland
Railway in 1873 and continued the company’s Quaker values
Joseph Ellis II, whilst continuing the family tradition of
farming, and being a director of the Leicester and Swannington
Railway, entered into partnership with Breedon Everard of Groby,
first as coal merchants and then extending their interest in
granite.
When Joseph Ellis II died in 1857, his sons, James and Joseph
joined Breedon Everard, now the senior partner and in 1858 they
leased the Bardon quarries of Robert Jacomb-Hood II, of Bardon
Hall.
Breedon Everard now abandoned farming, and made his home at
Bardon Hill House. The affairs of the Bardon estate at this time
were in some disarray, and in 1864 it passed into the hands of
William Perry Herrick of Beaumanor who renegotiated the lease of
Bardon quarry to Ellis and Everard. The quarry was now developed
and mechanised with the introduction of Charles G Mountain of
Birmingham’s steam crusher. Workmen’s cottages were built and a
school provided, both at the joint expense of Ellis and Everard and
the Perry Herrick’s. In 1898 this paternalism was extended to the
provision of a parish church and a contribution to the clergyman’s
stipend. The architect of school, houses, and church was John
Breedon Everard, Breedon Everard’s second son, who worked for the
Midland Railway. He became a partner in the firm of Ellis and
Everard in 1874 and was responsible for the design of the
magnificent Bardon mill house which was doubled in size in 1902,
thereby giving Bardon an industrial building which is still deemed
to be ‘large and spectacular’.
On the left you will see a PDF link which Contains data
collected over time referencing information about Quarying at
Bardon Hill.