Monks Park is one of the few mines in operation today, 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, it is still quarried today by Hanson.
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.
Monks Park has an underground link to the adjoining Ridge Quarry, however this has now-a-days been blocked by Hanson.
Overlooking the workings near the truck loading bay.
Loading cart.
Old mine entrance.
Visitor board, The superviser would have kept track of everyone inside the mine at any one time.
Looking down the stairs to the entrance of the mine (now blocked off).
Looking up the stairs from the entrance of the mine (now blocked off).
Old tracks can still be seen leading to the warehouse, where the loading carts would have run from.
Inside the warehouse are 4 machines left to rust. Still all greased and moving parts, would only need power to operate.
The winch would have been used to haul the loading carts to the warehouse.
You would have to be an electrical engineer to work this, for the winch!
Specifications of the motor for the winch.
A friend seeing if the parts are still moving.
Another machine for cutting up the bath stone.
Dismantled old loading carts.
Dismantled old loading carts.
Airshaft to old mine, around 50ft deep. Overlooking the new mining of Hanson and Leafield Logistics.
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, it is still quarried today by Hanson.
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.
Monks Park has an underground link to the adjoining Ridge Quarry, however this has now-a-days been blocked by Hanson.
Overlooking the workings near the truck loading bay.
Loading cart.
Old mine entrance.
Visitor board, The superviser would have kept track of everyone inside the mine at any one time.
Looking down the stairs to the entrance of the mine (now blocked off).
Looking up the stairs from the entrance of the mine (now blocked off).
Old tracks can still be seen leading to the warehouse, where the loading carts would have run from.
Inside the warehouse are 4 machines left to rust. Still all greased and moving parts, would only need power to operate.
The winch would have been used to haul the loading carts to the warehouse.
You would have to be an electrical engineer to work this, for the winch!
Specifications of the motor for the winch.
A friend seeing if the parts are still moving.
Another machine for cutting up the bath stone.
Dismantled old loading carts.
Dismantled old loading carts.
Airshaft to old mine, around 50ft deep. Overlooking the new mining of Hanson and Leafield Logistics.
