Monkton Farleigh CAD (D19/20)
Ojay/Rookinella/Havoc/Lawrence
Monkton Farleigh Mine is the largest of the three Central Ammunition Depots and consists of 80 acres of tunnels and storage districts
The site consists of two areas (the main storage area - districts 12 to 18) and connected via a drift, districts 19 & 20
Each storage district is divided up into numbered storage bays, with passageways fitted with 14 miles of large conveyors to transport crates of ammunition around the mine
Built during WW2, the once 'Top Secret' establishment was decommissioned in 1965 and sold off in 1976
The site is now owned by Wansdyke security and used by Restore
Despite this comedy signage..
'GG' is a pain in the arse and I vowed never again!!
Crack on...
District 20
Starting life as a temporary storage area it was originally isolated from the rest of the mine, with no surface access, the only connection was via Browns Folly through a tunnel known as grahams grovel
Now destined for permanent bomb storage, it included anti-spark asphalt unlike D19 due to an earlier cost cutting exercise
It was also fitted with 4 conveyor belts and a slopeshaft to the surface
19/20 Drift
(The Drift is a tunnel, half a mile long, that runs from Main West to 19
and 20 Districts)
Miles of ventilation ducting directed conditioned air around the depot
Storage Bays
East Haulageway
Air Intake Shaft & Dehumidifier
D20 Slopshaft
Top of 19/20 drift, Main West behind the bricked wall
Top of D20 & short conveyor
District 19
Converted by the royal engineers, 19 district was only going to be temporary and not used for ammunition storage
That soon changed and by 1939 was fully functional, with the exception of the usual spark proof flooring as it was never planned to be used for bomb storage
A slope shaft and 2 conveyors were fitted as well as a system of narrow gauge tracks to cart the ammunitions around via trucks to storage bays from above
Making our way into D19...
Railtracks laid for trucks
Strengthening pillars
Short conveyor
Ventilation Ducting
Looking back down the West haulageway towards the Drift
The Drift looking from 19 District back to Main West
On the right is 19 District office which is at the bottom of the slope shaft
D19 Slopehaft
Outta Here
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