Monkton Farleigh Mine is the largest of the three Central Ammunition Depots and consists of 80 acres of tunnels and storage districts.
Built during WW2, it was decommissioned in 1965 and sold off in 1976. After many years of fruitless wrangling between landowners and planners, Monkton Farleigh Mine was almost destroyed by theft and vandalism.
In 1984 this once Top Secret establishment was rescued by volunteers who launched an ambitious programme to restore the mine and open it to the public.
Monkton Farleigh Mine consists of eight storage 'districts' connected by five miles of tunnels. It has six entrances, one being at the end of a mile-long tunnel at Farleigh Down Sidings
The upper part of the tunnel is 180 feet deep but at the valley bottom the covering is shallow and a ‘cut and covered’ technique was used to hide the conveyor from aerial reconnaissance.
I did not go right in as i had the wife with me but it was awesome none the less !
Built during WW2, it was decommissioned in 1965 and sold off in 1976. After many years of fruitless wrangling between landowners and planners, Monkton Farleigh Mine was almost destroyed by theft and vandalism.
In 1984 this once Top Secret establishment was rescued by volunteers who launched an ambitious programme to restore the mine and open it to the public.
Monkton Farleigh Mine consists of eight storage 'districts' connected by five miles of tunnels. It has six entrances, one being at the end of a mile-long tunnel at Farleigh Down Sidings
The upper part of the tunnel is 180 feet deep but at the valley bottom the covering is shallow and a ‘cut and covered’ technique was used to hide the conveyor from aerial reconnaissance.
I did not go right in as i had the wife with me but it was awesome none the less !
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