Having seen the most excellent report by Mr. @Bertie Bollockbrains from the Brecon Beacons, I was partly (read fully !) inspired to try something similar. Bixhead Stone Mine isn't a part of that but as we just happened to be walking past it, we decided to go down to the entry point as rumour had it, that it had changed but had no intention of going in. On arriving, it seems that someone has gone to an awful lot of work / trouble and actually dug down and dug out the entrance to leave it in its original state. After all that work, it seemed curlish not to go in an have a wander.
HISTORY (from the afore mentioned Mr. Bollockbrains) :
Bixslade is a short steep-sided valley lying in the west of the Forest of Dean. Stone has been extracted continuously since the 15th century at least. The earliest surviving documents record a lease to John Hawtyne for the sum of 4 shillings. In 1675 there were about 20 quarries at Bixhead. In 1856 it was noted that there were a total of 320 quarries in the whole of the forest of Dean.
Whilst most of these quarries have been filled in, today three extensive deep quarries can be found at Bixhead which together with their tips occupy an area of 0.3 sq. km. The mostly northerly is the inactive Pullen’s Quarry which once had a deep pool at its base (the pool was somehow recently drained due to cases of drowning in the 1970s).
The next deep pit quarry lies to the east and is marked by an ascending curve by which a tramroad reached the quarry heads. It’s main face is to the north and at it’s base are the underground workings featured in this report. Now inactive, it was worked until the 1960s and the lease is still held by Forest of Dean Stone Firms Ltd.
Further east lies the present active quarry worked by Forest of Dean Stone Firms. The quarry employs about 30 workers and the method of working the stone is by drilling and splitting with wedges.
Throughout the UK, numerous municipal and civic buildings of the 19th century were constructed of the stone including: University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, University College London and the Shire Hall in Gloucester. Locals claim that London Bridge is built of the stone. More recently the stone has been used for the regeneration of Bath railway Station and Bridgend town centre.
1. Railing
2. Block
3. Bolt me up Scotty
4. Right angle
5. Space
6. Saw
7. Pillar
8. Door
9. Prop
Thanks for looking.
HISTORY (from the afore mentioned Mr. Bollockbrains) :
Bixslade is a short steep-sided valley lying in the west of the Forest of Dean. Stone has been extracted continuously since the 15th century at least. The earliest surviving documents record a lease to John Hawtyne for the sum of 4 shillings. In 1675 there were about 20 quarries at Bixhead. In 1856 it was noted that there were a total of 320 quarries in the whole of the forest of Dean.
Whilst most of these quarries have been filled in, today three extensive deep quarries can be found at Bixhead which together with their tips occupy an area of 0.3 sq. km. The mostly northerly is the inactive Pullen’s Quarry which once had a deep pool at its base (the pool was somehow recently drained due to cases of drowning in the 1970s).
The next deep pit quarry lies to the east and is marked by an ascending curve by which a tramroad reached the quarry heads. It’s main face is to the north and at it’s base are the underground workings featured in this report. Now inactive, it was worked until the 1960s and the lease is still held by Forest of Dean Stone Firms Ltd.
Further east lies the present active quarry worked by Forest of Dean Stone Firms. The quarry employs about 30 workers and the method of working the stone is by drilling and splitting with wedges.
Throughout the UK, numerous municipal and civic buildings of the 19th century were constructed of the stone including: University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, University College London and the Shire Hall in Gloucester. Locals claim that London Bridge is built of the stone. More recently the stone has been used for the regeneration of Bath railway Station and Bridgend town centre.
1. Railing
2. Block
3. Bolt me up Scotty
4. Right angle
5. Space
6. Saw
7. Pillar
8. Door
9. Prop
Thanks for looking.
