A note on the back of this image reads: "1928 - when your Dad worked at Smart's Quarry".

We can see Constable Hart^[2] lorries, which had unusual double rear wheels, being loaded from the hoppers of the 7-plank waggons^[1] on the raised rail track above them. The waggons are numbered from left to right 502, 522, 84, 82, __, __ and belonged to Constable Hart Co. Ltd., Matlock. They would have come from the crusher, having been shunted up the long incline (seen on the right of the waggons) by a small engine, and the lorries would have been filled with crushed limestone, probably for road making. There is a side wheel on each waggon which would open the hopper in the waggon's base for the contents to drop through. Alternatively, just above the wheel is a drop down door which could also have been used for unloading.

The six wheeled tipping lorries were steam driven "Sentinels". Constable Hart must have had a reasonably large fleet of these as the lorries shown here are numbered from left to right 24, --, 26 and 23. They also look new and unused (i.e. clean and not covered in limestone dust or soot), so perhaps they had just arrived. The picture was posed as the lorries don't seem to have anything in them.

Mr. Smart was a Nottingham born Asphalt and Tarpaving Contractor who lived in Stevenage^[3]. There were actually two Josiah Smarts, a father and son. Although it is unclear exactly when the two men took over at the beginning of the twentieth century^[4], they were operating the Station Quarry in 1904^[5]. Josiah Smart (senior) died on 9 March 1915^[6] but his business continued to operate in Matlock for a further fourteen or so years.

Constable Hart and Josiah Smart were two of the largest manufacturers of tar macadam and asphalt in the district and their two quarries were next door to each other as Constable Hart operated the Cawdor quarry. At the beginning of January 1929 the newspapers were speculating about their possible amalgamation. A long term employee of Constable Hart, Mr. Birch, acted as spokesman and was initially unsure whether the two would join forces or if one would take over the other^[7]. However, we know from the Annual Returns of Quarries under the [Quarries?] Act for 1925 and 1931 that Smarts were not listed in the1931 Return and Constable Hart was then operating both Cawdor and Station quarries^[8].

References (coloured hyperlinks lead to more on site information):

^[1] 7-plank waggons were not rare, but the majority were built with 5-planks.

^[2] Constable, Hart and Co. were listed in the following directories: Kelly's 1908 Directory (Matlock) | Kelly's Directory 1912 | Kelly's 1916 Directory (Matlock) and in 1922, 1925 and 1928. Constable was in business in Matlock in Kelly's 1891 Directory.

^[3] Census research shows the Smart family living in Stevenage in 1891, 1901 and 1911.

^[4] Smart's quarries were listed in the following directories: Kelly's 1908 Directory (Matlock) | Kelly's Directory 1912 | Kelly's 1916 Directory (Matlock Bath) | Kelly's 1916 Directory (Matlock) and in 1922, 1925 and 1928

^[5] "Sheffield Evening Telegraph", 15 June 1904. Matlock and its Gas Supply. Mr. Josiah Smart, limestone quarry owner, Matlock Bridge, supported the Bill.

^[6] "The London Gazette".

^[7] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 15 January 1929. Works at Matlock. Possible Fusion of Two Firms.

^[8] Colin Goodwyn has provided the business addresses from the Annual Returns of Quarries under the [Quarries?] Act for 1925 and 1931 for the following: Smart, Josiah & Son, Great Northern House, 345 Gray's Inn Road, WC1, who operated Station Quarry, Matlock in 1925 but were not listed in the 1931 Return. Constable, Hart & Co. Ltd, of Broadway Buildings, Broadway, Westminster SW1, who operated Cawdor Quarry, Matlock Bridge in 1925, also operated Station Quarry in 1931. So like Harvey Dale joined Holt, Station joined Cawdor.