[Ojay]

Westwood Quarry, Visited By Ojay, Thompski, Woodburner & Raptor Jesus.

Continuing the ONE BIG WILTSHIRE WEEKEND, we headed over to Westwood to take a look at this semi-live site.

This had been a 'Big to-do' for sometime, so shouts to Thompski & Raptor Jesus for the tour whilst in Wiltshire.

The place is immense and I'm sure there was more to see, but as time was against us, we only had a relatively short mooch.

Brief History:

Westwood Quarry, situated just outside Bath. Originally 2 large stone quarries. Once the workings ceased, the Agaric Mushroom Company who used the quarry as an underground mushroom farm.

During the WWII half the quarry was used by Royal Enfield. It was then used as an underground factory producing Anti-air craft predictors. After the War, Royal Enfield continued to use the site as a workshop to repair their motorcycles up until 1970. The workshop was then taken over by two ex-Enfield employees who ran a servicing and repair workshop from the quarry until the 1990's.

In another section of the quarry, accessible from the main drift, the mine was also used as a secure vault to house the valuable contents of the British Museum and other such artefacts from Galleries & private collections during the Blitz.

More significantly the Crown Jewels were also stored here, on one occasion in 1943 Queen Mary paid a visit to the Quarry.

The secure storage area was fitted with a state of the art ventilation system, it was also equipped with smoke detectors and a sophisticated air conditioning system to ensure consistent humidity & temperature to safegaurd the valuable artefacts.

The main repository was secured with two large safe doors requisitioned from a London bank.

Today the secure area is maintained by Restore Data Services, and still used as secure storage.

Later in the 1970's the mine was aquired by Hansons, and mining finally ceased in 2008.

In your Mines.......


Mail



Office



Down to the Main Drift.... Do Not enter (Err OK).



Main Drift



Down to the Secure Area



Secure Storage Area



Tracks



Digger





To the Mine



In your stone mines





Emergency Exit



Whats through here....?



Electrics, looks like somebody left the light on







Remnants of ventilation system used for secure repository





Remnants of WWII Electrics



Whilst snapping away, I heard Woodburner mutter something about a tunnel. As I looked around there was an 8ft hole in the floor, before you could say winrar I was 'in your holeZ'

Climbing down was Lulz, I reckon that Health & Safety course WB attended would have served me well

Once down, there appeared to be a long tunnel, about halfway up was a pile of tyres (A poor attempt to block the tunnel). I soon clambered over to see what was the other side..



Magic Mushrooms FTW



The tunnel took a sharp right turn, it was now 1ft deep in shite and was difficult to traverse, eventually I found teh End..



THE END. Thanks For Looking

[Earth Worm Jim]

Tidy! some what reminiscent of Corsham.

[n10694]

one of the best !

[the copy cat]

Nice report ojay looks a good un

[rigy]

nice work mate, looks interesting

[Jim Gillette]

Looks like an awesome place.

[buddah]

nice

[NorthMancBeds]

very good.

[woodburner]

This was a great final explore to the minez weekend, can't believe it was 'walk in' access to such a cool place!

Cheers to Thompski and RaptorJesus for the tour.

Anyway i'll add a few of my pics from the day...

Off to a good start with the rule breaking...


I want in here...


It was nice of them to leave the power on to this section.




Killar truck! :o




It was awesome to find all this old English Electric gear!




...and some next door not so servicable..


Must admit when I heard about this place I thought - 'What, they quarry for wiggers now?'

Safe.

WB

[tristanjay]

A bit of good history to this one a bit different from the norm. You just know the new storage area is for paperwork and other fraudulent bankers evidence rather than jewels and art :(