Ridge Quarry, Corsham, Wiltshire (21/12/07)

[rigsby]

I visited Ridge this afternoon as part of my plan to make the most of my time off work. I have been wanting to explore Ridge for ages. It was a nice little explore just how i imangend it. Lots and lots of old graffiti and not too much recent stuff apart from the odd '' MOD patrolled '' in red spray paint :rolleyes: I found the guest book but could not sign it because the pens did not work.

Ridge was quarried up until 1914 when at the start of the First World War, Ridge was requisitioned by the War Department. They cleared out the waste stone and stacked it up in older parts of the workings and strengthened the roof so that ammunition could be stored in the mine.

During the build up to WW2 the War Department decided that there was a need for a large underground ammunitions store. It was decided that the required space could be obtained by converting four quarries, these four formed what was collectively known as the Central Ammunitions Depot Corsham. Ridge Quarry was acquired and put to use as one of these sub-depots. The three other sub-depots were Tunnel Quarry at Corsham, Eastlays Quarry at Gastard and Monkton Farleigh Mine.

Ridge Quarry was never converted to the same extent as the rest of the Central Ammunitions Depot Corsham so it became surplus soon after the war had finished. There is however evidence of Monkton-style corseting and strengthening work in the quarry but at an incomplete stage as the budget was never approved.

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1707/dscf0017yo6.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8039/dscf0021ns6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6879/dscf0015ku0.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7772/dscf0035uf1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9611/dscf0027nm2.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2676/dscf0030bw6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3272/dscf0046zm5.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4033/dscf0048py4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5390/dscf0052wl1.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/6177/dscf0059rs8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4374/dscf0060of0.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/34/dscf0062kw5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/8509/dscf0066de0.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3430/dscf0075md2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7707/dscf0076ny4.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7896/dscf0079ix0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4567/dscf0087rr9.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8918/dscf0094wu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4728/dscf0097qn2.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/520/dscf0101sh7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Some of the old old graffiti.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/6484/dscf0044om3.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7007/dscf0056wh1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1319/dscf0057mx8.jpg (http://imageshack.us) http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7773/dscf0084uh5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A bit random find 20p stuck in the wall :confused:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/8762/dscf0049ab7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)