Ridge Quarry
Another from the Wiltshire weekend, visited with Oxygen Thief, The Franconian, PCWOX, Fazy UK, Urban Junkie, Darryl, Tommo appeared briefly. Nothing exciting to say about the visit, it was a nice relaxed wander around.
History
Ridge Quarry, a small underground Bath-stone quarry at The Ridge near Corsham in Wiltshire was taken over in 1915 for TNT and cordite storage. It was abandoned shortly after the war but subsequently was to figure as a key progenitor of the vast schemes undertaken at Corsham in preparation for the Second World War.
In November 1934 War Office officials returned to Ridge Quarry and nearby Tunnel Quarry for a more thorough inspection. The initial impression was favourable. During subsequent discussions it was agreed that the quarries at Corsham could accommodate filled shell and bulk explosives, the location being well situated to supply the new filling factory under construction near Hereford. Tunnel Quarry offered over forty-five acres of storage space, as opposed to a mere six acres at Ridge, and had the major advantage of being connected directly to the GWR main line by a branch entering a side tunnel at the eastern portal of Box tunnel. Outline Treasury approval was granted for the purchase of both Ridge and Tunnel for £35,000. Later Eastlays and Monkton Farleigh quarries were also purchased.
Conversion of Ridge Quarry posed few problems as virtually all the clearing work had been done by the Ministry of munitions during the first World War. The gross area of the usable part amounted to nine and a half acres of which 3 and a half acres consisted of support pillars, leaving six acres for storage.
On with some pics in no particular order, taken Oct 2012 and June 2013
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Thanks for looking
History
Ridge Quarry, a small underground Bath-stone quarry at The Ridge near Corsham in Wiltshire was taken over in 1915 for TNT and cordite storage. It was abandoned shortly after the war but subsequently was to figure as a key progenitor of the vast schemes undertaken at Corsham in preparation for the Second World War.
In November 1934 War Office officials returned to Ridge Quarry and nearby Tunnel Quarry for a more thorough inspection. The initial impression was favourable. During subsequent discussions it was agreed that the quarries at Corsham could accommodate filled shell and bulk explosives, the location being well situated to supply the new filling factory under construction near Hereford. Tunnel Quarry offered over forty-five acres of storage space, as opposed to a mere six acres at Ridge, and had the major advantage of being connected directly to the GWR main line by a branch entering a side tunnel at the eastern portal of Box tunnel. Outline Treasury approval was granted for the purchase of both Ridge and Tunnel for £35,000. Later Eastlays and Monkton Farleigh quarries were also purchased.
Conversion of Ridge Quarry posed few problems as virtually all the clearing work had been done by the Ministry of munitions during the first World War. The gross area of the usable part amounted to nine and a half acres of which 3 and a half acres consisted of support pillars, leaving six acres for storage.
On with some pics in no particular order, taken Oct 2012 and June 2013
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Thanks for looking
