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Figure 4. Stone slate delving is usually shallow and on a small scale. The importance of keeping the slates as large as possible encourages hand methods. The Cotswold Stone Tile Company delph in the Forest Marble near Crudwell, Wiltshire is shallow extending to only 4m depth (1314 ft) and currently only three-quarters of an acre (one-third of a hectare) is being worked. (The skyline in the photograph shows a 3.5m tall embankment.) It is expected that the current working area will be reinstated and returned to agriculture within 12 to 18 months. (Cotswold Stone Tile Company). |