Report - Sewell Barne Quarries, Colerne, Wiltshire - December 2016

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

A very small quarry in Wiltshire, with about 150m of passages. Obviously not as notable or visited as the other quarries in Wiltshire. This one has never been reported on in here. So for the purposes of completeness, here’s a short report.

Lies almost in the grounds of the exclusive upmarket Lucknam Park Hotel. A surface quarry lies in the woods with several small entrances into the underground bits. The rock is poor and the roof extremely unstable (you have been warned!!), features horizontal wooden roof supports. Numerous bats inside. Unfortunately much evidence of the place being used as a drinking den with lots of litter and crude graffiti.

It is believed that stone from this quarry was used to build the hotel. What is known for sure from mid 19th century census records is that 23 labourers in Colerne were employed in the stone industry. Some of those men would have been working at the nearby Box mine and some employed within their own parish.

REPORT

Small entrance at the base of a 30ft quarry face

A roof fall just inside. The roof is still very unstable and more will drop

Looking in the place is covered in modern graffiti and there’s a litter strewn fire pit in the centre of the passage.

The walls are unstable too and propped up

Looking back from the deepest point in

The only graffiti in the quarry that could be considered “historic”. 1987 I think.

Thanks for reading

 

[Wevsky]

Still an interesting one mate,shame about the drinking den rubbish but as drinking dens go it's pretty cool

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Interesting little place nonetheless I think.

 

[WraithPriest]

Doesn't look like much has shifted in the couple of years since I went, which is a bonus. Nearly headed there today with Fazy_UK as well. Much better shots than I got with my phone though, so cool to see!

 

[bhg]

always good to see something new, thank you for sharing!

 

[Ojay]

Interesting find as ever mate, looks a bit 'sketch' to say the least and accident waiting to happen!

Good catching up

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

@WraithPriest
I think there's one more worthwhile small quarry in the Colerne area, located near to the Rocks estate. Would you know if this is correct or not?

 

[Morrisey]

Interesting place. Whoever set fire to the place were brave fuckers - lucky that the roof didn't fall!!

 

[Paradox]

I like it, nice shots!

 

[WraithPriest]

@WraithPriest
I think there's one more worthwhile small quarry in the Colerne area, located near to the Rocks estate. Would you know if this is correct or not?

AFAIK the Rocks is indeed lost. I spent a couple hours walking the campsite grounds, around behind the house etc and found only on small passage that's mentioned as specifically not being it.

The campsite owners did say some cavers had found a collapsed entrance years ago but they couldn't get in at all. I'd be up for a trip over again to try and find it though.

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

Slowly I'm turning into my grandad. I had to go away and find out what AFAIK meant

Anyways thanks for that, was going to have a look around the campsite later this week. I will find something else to do now.

 

[WraithPriest]

*snip*.

Yeah, I was quite gutted when I couldn't find it. The mcra coords must be well off or straight up made up. Fancy throwing me a pm if you think of anything underground to check out?

 

[Kinger]

It all adds to the bigger Wiltshire picture, so good find and well worth sharing

 

[The Kwan]

Cheers for posting this mate, it looks fascinating if a bit shonky