First report for 28DL, I hope you guys enjoy/find some use of it. Haven't been doing much in the way or Urbex the last year or so and decided to ease myself back in with a nice stress-free explore local(ish) to me.
Before we start apologies for the poor picture quality, I only use my phone. Even so, I had an absolute shocker - some have come out very cloudy due to a dirty lens. I have tried my best to retouch with limited success...
First, a little history. Westdown Quarry, was established in the 1940's by Bradgate Granite Quarries Ltd. It is situated next to the now disused Asham Wood Quarry (which is an SSSI) and what is now Torr Works Quarry which is very much in use. By the late 60's it was bought by the Redland Group who built the third largest primary crusher in the Mendips as well as the bins (or "toast rack" seen below) that still remain. In 1973, Redland & Hoveringham created a joint company called RH Roadstone Ltd who ran both Westdown and Asham Wood together. In 1985, following a failed attempt to connect the quarries to the railway line, it was sold to ARC, now Hanson, for £6.5 million who closed it soon after. Permission to quarry in Asham Wood lapsed in 1998, but Westdown was retained as a possible future quarry once Whatley Quarry has been worked. In 2007, permission was given to a local firm to build a products plant but no development has taken place. There was a planning application in place with Somerset County Council, but it has been suggested it has now expired...meaning Westdown Quarry can be enjoyed by us for the foreseeable future!
And nowwww the explore. As mentioned before, it was all pretty stress free on a stunning hot day. I have been to this site before a few years ago if memory serves me right and am pretty sure there was more space to park.. Much of it has been blocked off my big ol' rocks...to stop people congregating and parking on the verge I guess. It felt warm outside...but in the quarry it was a real dust bowl and super hot. The first thing you are greeted by upon entering are the mighty triangular screens which form the bins, colloquially known as a toastrack. Aggregate would be transported on a conveyer to each of these bins; a different size in each one. As you can (just about!) see from the photos there is a fair amount of aggregate still there collected between each of the screens....in case anyone here has a driveway that needs doing. And a lot of time on their hands.
I quite enjoyed the signage and half-arsed fence placed around the toast rack...oh the futility...
When I was here last there were a lot more interesting bits and pieces of history strewn around the quarry but unfortunately nowadays there is not much left aside from some wheel drums and gas canisters. However I did think these cone crushers in the far corner of the site were awesome. I guess these are a little more difficult to pilfer....
#shittonsoffilter
Really battling with the cloudy pictures in these...
Plant pot anyone? Difficult to see in the photo but that thing is about as tall as me. And no, I am not 1 ft tall:
If you look carefully you can see where all these components fit together...
After mooching around the quarry I then rejoined the public bridleway which runs alongside the fence running along the edge of Asham Wood quarry, and parallel to a river which runs from Chantry pond. I continued along this track for about 30 minutes but got bored...maybe someone here has followed it all the way??? I guessed it must lead to the back of the Torr Quarry - I could hear the heavy machinery operating a little further ahead.
By the time I got back to the entrance I could hear a couple of dirtbikes speeding around the quarry basin....yep, time to go!
And that concluded my explore! Any constructive feedback on the report is encouraged and appreciated...any criticism of the photos? Send them to me on a postcard. I already know...
Happy exploring folks.
Before we start apologies for the poor picture quality, I only use my phone. Even so, I had an absolute shocker - some have come out very cloudy due to a dirty lens. I have tried my best to retouch with limited success...
First, a little history. Westdown Quarry, was established in the 1940's by Bradgate Granite Quarries Ltd. It is situated next to the now disused Asham Wood Quarry (which is an SSSI) and what is now Torr Works Quarry which is very much in use. By the late 60's it was bought by the Redland Group who built the third largest primary crusher in the Mendips as well as the bins (or "toast rack" seen below) that still remain. In 1973, Redland & Hoveringham created a joint company called RH Roadstone Ltd who ran both Westdown and Asham Wood together. In 1985, following a failed attempt to connect the quarries to the railway line, it was sold to ARC, now Hanson, for £6.5 million who closed it soon after. Permission to quarry in Asham Wood lapsed in 1998, but Westdown was retained as a possible future quarry once Whatley Quarry has been worked. In 2007, permission was given to a local firm to build a products plant but no development has taken place. There was a planning application in place with Somerset County Council, but it has been suggested it has now expired...meaning Westdown Quarry can be enjoyed by us for the foreseeable future!
And nowwww the explore. As mentioned before, it was all pretty stress free on a stunning hot day. I have been to this site before a few years ago if memory serves me right and am pretty sure there was more space to park.. Much of it has been blocked off my big ol' rocks...to stop people congregating and parking on the verge I guess. It felt warm outside...but in the quarry it was a real dust bowl and super hot. The first thing you are greeted by upon entering are the mighty triangular screens which form the bins, colloquially known as a toastrack. Aggregate would be transported on a conveyer to each of these bins; a different size in each one. As you can (just about!) see from the photos there is a fair amount of aggregate still there collected between each of the screens....in case anyone here has a driveway that needs doing. And a lot of time on their hands.
I quite enjoyed the signage and half-arsed fence placed around the toast rack...oh the futility...
When I was here last there were a lot more interesting bits and pieces of history strewn around the quarry but unfortunately nowadays there is not much left aside from some wheel drums and gas canisters. However I did think these cone crushers in the far corner of the site were awesome. I guess these are a little more difficult to pilfer....
#shittonsoffilter
Really battling with the cloudy pictures in these...
Plant pot anyone? Difficult to see in the photo but that thing is about as tall as me. And no, I am not 1 ft tall:
If you look carefully you can see where all these components fit together...
After mooching around the quarry I then rejoined the public bridleway which runs alongside the fence running along the edge of Asham Wood quarry, and parallel to a river which runs from Chantry pond. I continued along this track for about 30 minutes but got bored...maybe someone here has followed it all the way??? I guessed it must lead to the back of the Torr Quarry - I could hear the heavy machinery operating a little further ahead.
By the time I got back to the entrance I could hear a couple of dirtbikes speeding around the quarry basin....yep, time to go!
And that concluded my explore! Any constructive feedback on the report is encouraged and appreciated...any criticism of the photos? Send them to me on a postcard. I already know...
Happy exploring folks.
