With some of the better known and more visited Bathstone quarries in Wiltshire recently being sealed up (The Ridge, Box (briefly) and Brewer's Yard), I thought it would be a good idea to find more underground sites.
So I present a seldom visited quarry that has yet to appear on 28DL - Yatton Keynell Quarry. But really with only about 100m of passages I wouldn't advise anyone to travel too far for this one :sad To get into this one, an immunity from nettles would also be highly desirable.
Visited with SonOfKevinR whilst MrsKevinR cooked dinner.
Can easily be found by looking at an OS map. Two entrances, each with about 50m of passageway. The southern entrance has a very low ceiling and is a difficult crawl. At least one other backfilled entrance.
History (with thanks to DP website): Stone was quarried for local houses from the land adjacent to Kent's Bottom. Kent's Bottom is associated with the family of Thomas Kent (1752). The site was later disused. John Aubrey (The Natural History of Wiltshire Author circa 1710) stated that the freestone quarry between Yatton Keynell and Long Dean does not endure the weather well. A tile digger from Yatton Keynell left a will in 1758, therefore some quarrying must have been taking place at that time.
The Ordnance Survey map of 1886 shows old quarries marked to the south of West Yatton. The quarry and plantation to the north of Long Dean was extended by 1921. This map also shows an old quarry at Chapel Wood, south of Long Dean, but it was not there on the map of 1886. In 1900 there was an old quarry next to Kent's Bottom Farm and also to the west of Yatton Keynell. One also occupied land to the west of Giddeahall. The quarries were a major source of employment for local people. In 1851 there was a stone mason living in Yatton Keynell, five stone quarrymen from Giddyhall (also two lodgers from Gloucestershire who were coal heavers), two quarry labourers, one master stone mason from West Yatton and one Journeyman Stone Mason from Long Dean. In 1861 there were six quarrymen, one master mason and two stone masons, all from Yatton Keynell. By 1871 it was only possible to find one stone mason, one stonecutter and quarry man on the Census but four were noted in Yatton Keynell in 1881 and after this the numbers remained at around two to three.
Onto the photos:
1.
2.
3. SonOfKevinR begins to think that KevinR wasn't quite telling the truth when he said we going to the playground
4.
5.
6.
Thanks for looking
So I present a seldom visited quarry that has yet to appear on 28DL - Yatton Keynell Quarry. But really with only about 100m of passages I wouldn't advise anyone to travel too far for this one :sad To get into this one, an immunity from nettles would also be highly desirable.
Visited with SonOfKevinR whilst MrsKevinR cooked dinner.
Can easily be found by looking at an OS map. Two entrances, each with about 50m of passageway. The southern entrance has a very low ceiling and is a difficult crawl. At least one other backfilled entrance.
History (with thanks to DP website): Stone was quarried for local houses from the land adjacent to Kent's Bottom. Kent's Bottom is associated with the family of Thomas Kent (1752). The site was later disused. John Aubrey (The Natural History of Wiltshire Author circa 1710) stated that the freestone quarry between Yatton Keynell and Long Dean does not endure the weather well. A tile digger from Yatton Keynell left a will in 1758, therefore some quarrying must have been taking place at that time.
The Ordnance Survey map of 1886 shows old quarries marked to the south of West Yatton. The quarry and plantation to the north of Long Dean was extended by 1921. This map also shows an old quarry at Chapel Wood, south of Long Dean, but it was not there on the map of 1886. In 1900 there was an old quarry next to Kent's Bottom Farm and also to the west of Yatton Keynell. One also occupied land to the west of Giddeahall. The quarries were a major source of employment for local people. In 1851 there was a stone mason living in Yatton Keynell, five stone quarrymen from Giddyhall (also two lodgers from Gloucestershire who were coal heavers), two quarry labourers, one master stone mason from West Yatton and one Journeyman Stone Mason from Long Dean. In 1861 there were six quarrymen, one master mason and two stone masons, all from Yatton Keynell. By 1871 it was only possible to find one stone mason, one stonecutter and quarry man on the Census but four were noted in Yatton Keynell in 1881 and after this the numbers remained at around two to three.
Onto the photos:
1.
2.
3. SonOfKevinR begins to think that KevinR wasn't quite telling the truth when he said we going to the playground
4.
5.
6.
Thanks for looking
