Brewers Yard Quarry

This is a very unusual mine in that it comprises of two levels connected with a stone staircase and a vertical shaft. The shaft was obviously used to haul stone from both levels up to the surface. It is now capped with corrugated iron. Access is gained by a steep narrow slope shaft which requires great care to avoid dislodging stones which may block the small passage at the bottom. Access conditions are uncertain as the site is owned by the M.o.D. The slope shaft is found about twenty feet from the A4 between Box and Corsham on the brink of the hill in the woodland beneath the water towers. It is covered with a thick iron grill which looks suspiciously like it was built by the M.o.D. At the time of writing there is enough room to squeeze under the girder at one end in order to descend the slope. Be careful of the vertical shaft once inside as it is very deep and several passages lead into it. In the lower level many sawn blocks of Ashlar are stacked up but were never removed, this was possibly due to a collapse at a smaller shaft in the centre of the mine preventing the removal of the stone. Navigation is easy in the mine as all the passages seem to be dead ends with a few links between them. This mine is relatively small but well worth seeing as it is unique.


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