{{Short description|Nature reserve in Cornwall, England}} {{Infobox park | name = Tresayes Quarry | image = Tresayes Quarry Sign- geograph.org.uk - 3758281|220px | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = | map = Cornwall | map_size = | map_caption = Location in Cornwall | type = | location = near Roche | nearest_city = Truro | coordinates = {{coord|50.39211|-4.82215|type:_region:GB}} | grid_ref_UK = SW 995585 | area = {{convert|1|ha}} | operator = Cornwall Wildlife Trust | visitation_num = | status = | designation = | open = | website = {{url|https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/Tresayes}} }}
''' Tresayes Quarry ''' is a nature reserve near Roche in Cornwall. It is also a geological nature reserve of Cornwall Wildlife Trust and is designated as a (non-statutory) County Geology Site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-doour-conservation-workon-land/county-geology-sites|publisher=Cornwall Wildlife Trust|title=County Geology Sites|access-date=6 February 2023}}</ref> The entrance to the reserve has a small car park with a gate at [https://what3words.com/graver.brimmed.caveman ///graver.brimmed.caveman] There is a geology trail<ref>{{cite web| url=https://sites.google.com/view/cornwallgeoconservationgroup/geotrails| title=Roche Rock and the Tresayes Trail| access-date=27 October 2024}}</ref> linking Roche Rock to Tresayes Quarry. ==Geology== The quarry is notable for a granitic pegmatite intruding hornfels, originally a sedimentary rock thermally metamorphosed by the St Austell granite intrusion. The pegmatite is composed of orthoclase feldspar, quartz, mica, and minor tourmaline and cordierite.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tresayes Quarry (Polpuff Quarry) |url=https://www.mindat.org/loc-1145.html |website=mindat.org |access-date=29 October 2024}}</ref> Associated with the pegmatites, rare elements, such as niobium, cerium and beryllium also occur.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tresayes |url=https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/tresayes |website=Cornwall Wildlife Trust |access-date=8 February 2023}}</ref>
==History==
When the quarry was first opened in the late 19th century, it was a source of pure feldspar, which was used in the glass making industry. The site was known locally as the Glass Mine or Polpuff. It closed for several years but reopened in 1917, during the First World War, to provide feldspar for electrical porcelain with at least 50 bal maidens separating the feldspar.<ref>{{Cite book| last =Mayers| first =Lynne| year =2008| title =Bal Maidens: Women and Girls of the Cornwall and Devon Mines| publisher =Blaize Bailey Books| location=Cinderford| isbn =978-0-9556896-1-1| oclc =663435621| edition=2nd| pp=126-129}}</ref> The bal maidens were laid off in 1921 but some of the survivors were interviewed in 1980 by John Tonkin, who lived in Roche.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mayers|first =Lynne|year =2009|title =Voices from the Dressing Floors, 1773-1950|publisher =Blaize Bailey Books|location=Cinderford|isbn =978-0-9556896-2-8|pp=92-98}}</ref>
Since 2011 the quarry has been an EarthCache, visited by the geocaching community.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC32BDK_tresayes-quarry-roche-glass-mine| title=Tresayes Quarry - Roche Glass Mine| access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Portal|Cornwall}} {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tresayes Quarry}} Category:Nature reserves of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Category:Quarries in Cornwall
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