Roebroek quarry, Valkenburg aan de Geul, Limburg, Netherlandsi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Roebroek quarry | Quarry |
| Valkenburg aan de Geul | Municipality |
| Limburg | Province |
| Netherlands | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
50° 51' 20'' North , 5° 49' 27'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vilt | 900 (2017) | 1.2km |
| Valkenburg | 3,400 (2017) | 1.2km |
| Sibbe | 1,015 (2017) | 1.3km |
| Broekhem | 1,960 (2009) | 1.7km |
| Strabeek | 160 (2017) | 1.9km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vieille Montagne Heritage | Kelmis / La Calamine, Belgium | 21km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Ezelsgroeve; Koegroeve; Koegrot
The Roebroek quarry, Ezelsgroeve ("Donkey quarry"), Koegroeve ("Cow quarry") or Koegrot ("Cow cave") is a marl quarry in the Dutch municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul in South Limburg. The underground quarry is located on the southwest side of Valkenburg on the Daalhemerweg in a grub on the northern edge of the Margraten Plateau in the transition to the Geuldal.
Opposite the quarry are MergelRijk and the Steenkolenmijn Valkenburg, both located in the Ackermans quarry/Daelhemmersberg quarry.
The exploitation of the Roebroek quarry started in the 17th century and continued in various phases. The block breakers probably used the relatively soft marl in the quarry for simple construction projects and for their own use. Large-scale exploitation of the quarry took place from 1859 onwards. Baron Adolphe de Ryckholt, owner of the quarry at the time, gave permission to one Louis Janssen from Vilt to further develop the quarry. Due to uncertainty about the quality of the marl present, this extraction only started slowly. The mayor of the then municipality of Berg en Terblijt reported this to the engineer of the Mines in Maastricht:
"In response to your noble missive of 12 of this day, no. 388, I have the honor to inform your noble honor that the entrance to the quarry at the tree is located on the plot of land section 13 no. 1035 belonging to Mr. Baron van Rijckholt, owner of the Vilterhof, who also owns the topsoil land above [the quarry]. He granted permission to excavate there to Louis Jansen in Vilt, who has not yet appointed a supervisor in the capacity of reclamation. Because until then he had no certainty whether the material was such that the reclamation could continue."
Between 1860 and 1887, the aforementioned manor farm Vilterhof and the surrounding lands, and therefore also the quarry, became the property of the Roebroek family. From then on, the tunnel system is also referred to as the Roebroek Quarry. The last extraction in the quarry took place in 1898, when a disturbance in the marl package was encountered, the so-called Klauwpijpbreuk ("Claw Pipe Fracture"). Further exploitation in the direction of the nearby Gemeentegrot was not financially and technically feasible.
The corridor system had been abandoned for a long time, something that local youth made frequent use of. People played and hung out in the dark marl corridors, which was not unusual at the time. Small drawings, texts, and other creative expressions are still a reminder of this on many walls.
During the Second World War, a war industry was established in the quarry. For the construction of the Heideberg Quarry, the Roebroek Quarry was converted into a semi-bunkered storage facility. Floors were levelled with concrete, walls rounded and reinforcements were applied where necessary.
In the decades after the war, the quarry was used for various purposes, as a storage for materials from the model coal mine opposite, a teaching location for art students from the art academy in Breda and even for a time as a mushroom farm. From 1980 to 1988, the Dutch coal bank was housed in the Roebroek quarry. 1600 barrels of coal from different mines around the world were lined up row upon row. From 2001 to 2020, the corridor system was used for team building and group activities.
Since June 2020, the corridor system has been set up as a museum, where visitors can learn more about its unique underground history through a guided tour.
The Roebroek quarry is a medium-sized quarry with a usable area of 100 by 50 meters. The total corridor length is approximately 987 meters and measures an area of approximately 8,454 square meters.
The quarry is privately managed. In 2017, the quarry was assessed for safety and approved for intensive use. In the summer of 2019, the quarry was temporarily opened to local young artists. Within the context of the quarry and cultural history of the area, they were given the opportunity to leave a work of art on the bare marl walls.
The operation of the quarry is provided by Grottentocht Valkenburg, through guided tours the history of the tunnel system and local legends and stories are told.
Commodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.List of minerals for each chemical element
Other Databases
| Wikipedia: | https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roebroekgroeve |
|---|---|
| Wikidata ID: | Q71577163 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
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