Report - Monks Park Quarry, Wiltshire - August 2009/10

Adders · Aug 23, 2010

It's taken a year for me to get around to having enough photos to warrant a report on this place. After stopping by on the 2009 Wiltshire Quarryfest with 15 others led to more talks of cider than photo taking.

So, fast forward almost exactly a year on, and the same cider based talk is going on, but this time just between myself, DHL and Carl. All feeling tired after not alot of sleep the night before, DHL having camera-fog issues, and Carl having mega torch fail.

Monks Park 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

This year's trip down was only really a short visit as we had other places in mind, but was a good mooch, and ran into fellow comrades in the shape of Urbanity, Speed, Rigsby and Silent Motion.

(2009)