Monks Park Quarry,Corsham, July 09

[rigsby]

Monks park quarry started it's life under the name of Sumsions Monks or Monks North as it was started in 1886 by Sumsions as a Bath stone quarry, the mine then changed hands to The Bath and Portland Stone Co. who's name has since changed to ARC Stone. The mine now covers 38 acres and has 212 steps leading down, the stone being about 100’ below the ground.

In 1937 the quarry was taken over by the War Department and used as an ammunition and explosives store, although the whole area was not converted. The site became surplus in 1941 and sat empty until 1954 when a 10 acre area of the quarry was converted by the Royal Navy as an extension to the stores at Copenacre Quarry as well as Spring Quarry. The conversion took two years and during this time , 250,000 tons of waste was removed, floors laid, ceilings and pillars strengthened where necessary and engineering services installed. To make the quarry suitable for storage a new reinforced lift shaft was constructed.

The rest of the quarry which was never converted remained in it’s original stone quarry state, this half became a quarry museum for a short time before being moved to Pickwick Quarry as it was decided that the quarry would once again be put in to use for stone extraction.

When Copenacre Quarry closed in 1995 the Navy’s part of Monks Park was sold off to a Leafield Engineering, a defence contractor who now use the quarry to make components for the defence industry and commercial users.

The surface buildings are just as good as the workings even know they have been vandalized.
The office is full with paper work diaries maps and plans.
There is also a machinery maintenance shed where they would service the machinery from the quarry also machinery from Westwood quarry a few miles down the road.


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[tucker]

Lots to see above ground and below, you've captured it well with your photographs :thumb

A few pics from yesterday

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2612/3766687559_a28eb44598.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/3766687575_cbeea0debb.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3535/3766725661_d58ba50b01.jpg

Out of the way!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/3766687553_ef56a16c0c.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/3766725633_10d07b125e.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3766687579_54f96a0588.jpg

Have more shots of people crawling in and out, will stick a few up if nobody minds?

Cheers to everyone involved, another good day of mines!

[Oxygen Thief]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/3766687575_cbeea0debb.jpg

That worked well in the end mate, as did most your pics to be honest. I'll bang a few up later on.