History:
In 1936 the quarries, and land extending further down the ravine, were bought by the Air Ministry and the site became RAF Chilmark, which was the home of No 11 Maintenance Unit. Munitions were stored in the quarry caverns, and for a time the unit had extensive above-ground storage areas in woodland near Dinton and in Grovely Wood.
A spur left the London-Exeter railway west of Dinton station at Ham Cross, just east of the bridge over the Chicksgrove-Fovant road, and entered the foot of the ravine; this spur was omitted from Ordnance Survey maps.Goods were transhipped under cover of a large shed, to/from a 2 ft gauge narrow-gauge railway which ran into the ravine and some of the former quarry caverns.
By 1965, Chilmark was the RAF's only ammunition supply depot. RAF Chilmark closed in 1995, although clearance of explosives from the site continued until at least 1997. A 1939 diesel locomotive used at the site was bought in 1976 by the Bala Lake Railway.
The Explore:
Visited with @Minor , After travelling to Wiltshire with the intention of watching the Lafarge Cement works chimney demolition in Westbury on the second day we hit this site on the first, we only managed to explore the above ground sites on the first day as we didn't have the right equipment to get underground (which ended up with me getting stuck halfway through an opening much to minors enjoyment), not ones to give up easily, after the chimney demo and breakfast at the hotel, we went straight back to the site with the right equipment to get into the underground ammo stores.
a bit pic heavy but on we go
a few pics from above ground
and now the ammo store
thanks for looking
In 1936 the quarries, and land extending further down the ravine, were bought by the Air Ministry and the site became RAF Chilmark, which was the home of No 11 Maintenance Unit. Munitions were stored in the quarry caverns, and for a time the unit had extensive above-ground storage areas in woodland near Dinton and in Grovely Wood.
A spur left the London-Exeter railway west of Dinton station at Ham Cross, just east of the bridge over the Chicksgrove-Fovant road, and entered the foot of the ravine; this spur was omitted from Ordnance Survey maps.Goods were transhipped under cover of a large shed, to/from a 2 ft gauge narrow-gauge railway which ran into the ravine and some of the former quarry caverns.
By 1965, Chilmark was the RAF's only ammunition supply depot. RAF Chilmark closed in 1995, although clearance of explosives from the site continued until at least 1997. A 1939 diesel locomotive used at the site was bought in 1976 by the Bala Lake Railway.
The Explore:
Visited with @Minor , After travelling to Wiltshire with the intention of watching the Lafarge Cement works chimney demolition in Westbury on the second day we hit this site on the first, we only managed to explore the above ground sites on the first day as we didn't have the right equipment to get underground (which ended up with me getting stuck halfway through an opening much to minors enjoyment), not ones to give up easily, after the chimney demo and breakfast at the hotel, we went straight back to the site with the right equipment to get into the underground ammo stores.
a bit pic heavy but on we go
a few pics from above ground
and now the ammo store
thanks for looking
