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Monkton Farleigh Quarry - Main West Entrance

Monkton Farleigh.

This slope shaft descends 30 metres underground to access part of the Monkton Farleigh/ Farleigh Down Quarry.

Alternate Names: Farleigh Down Quarry

Notes: The Main West Entrance accesses the much larger Monkton Farleigh Mine. The undereground quarry was worked extensively in the nineteenth century with some stone being transported for use in the interior of Buckingham Palace. The underground passages and storage areas were the largest of the three WW2 Central Ammunition Depots.

The quarry was decommissioned in 1965 when the Ministry of Defense returned the site to civilian use. It was bought by EMF Farming Associates in 1975. In 1984, a local quarrying enthusiast bought the site and who launched an ambitious programme to restore the mine and open it to the public. Some considerable conservation was undertaken by Nick McCamley and a team of volunteers. However, the venture failed and the quarry suffered some considerable theft and vandalism.

In 1996, it was bought by Wansdyke Securities, which used the converted quarry workings for data storage. Restore Records Management currently uses it for secure document storage.