# Monkton Farleigh Ammo Depot - February 2012



## tank2020 (Feb 15, 2012)

Left Colin's Barn and headed of to RAF Rudloe Manor. "What a mistake-a to make -a". This is now being done up and new homes being built around it. "Nowt to see here". So headed of to the Ammo Depot.

This place is trashed, but is so colourful, I really liked it. There is a large abundance of balloons and gas bottles laying about the place, I guess they have some high times down here. 

There was also some green LEDs flashing in the walls of the depot, at first I thought there was CCTV, as the end of the tunnel is a complex now used a secure storage by some security company. The LEDs turned out to be just that and nothing else, bloody kids.

We walked for about a mile up hill; in a tunnel, which felt a bit strange, t2020jr would not stop moaning that he couldn't go on, "The youth of today, i tell ya!" So we turned back. From what I understand you used to be able to enter the quarry/store at the end, but this is blocked up now, "It better be, eerrrggghhh!"

A bit of info -







_Monkton Farleigh ammunition depot utilised an old stone quarry below a plateau some 450 feet above the valley floor in which ran the main line railway that was its principal source of supply. Before the depot could be commissioned, an efficient means was need to bring in ammunition from the railway at Farleigh Down Sidings. The sidings were just over a mile from the depot as the crow flies but more than four miles by road along steep and tortuous country lanes.

In November 1937 the Great Western Railway were contracted to lay the sidings and build a 1000 foot long raised loading platform complete with a narrow gauge track to carry the ammunition wagons. Outline plans had already been prepared to drive a mile long tunnel from the heart of the workings terminating in an underground sorting yard built beneath the sidings in the valley below.


Aerial ropeway in operation in 1941 before
completion of the tunnel
The tunnel was designed to handle 1000 tons of ammunition daily. This was not scheduled for completion until 1941.

In the meantime work started on a 2000 yard mono-cable aerial ropeway which was to stretch in a straight line from the sidings, up over the brow of Farleigh Down to a transfer station near No. 20 District loading platform at the western end of the depot allowing the depot to be brought in to use while work on the tunnel continued._

continued at - http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/m/monkton_farleigh/index.shtml






















































































Cheers ears!


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## UrbanX (Feb 15, 2012)

Really nicely taken shots, the graffiti looks really playful! 
Thanks for sharing!


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## night crawler (Feb 15, 2012)

The pulleys and gears look in remarkably good condition, just a shame the graffiti numpties don't appreciate history.


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## dannyb86_123 (Feb 15, 2012)

Gotta go there, it looks cool


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## TeeJF (Feb 15, 2012)

Don't worry Tank, he did you a favour... there's just a brick wall with a hole in it and a howling gale at the end of the tunnel!


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## Bunker Bill (Feb 16, 2012)

Great set of pic's, i like the old one of the place in use.


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## oldscrote (Feb 16, 2012)

Always nice to see photos from here.The tunnel itself however only scratches the surface of the size and complexity of what lies beyond the hole in the wall with the howling gale.

http://www.monkton-farleigh.co.uk/sc_monktonfarleigh1.htm

I put some info up regarding the tunnel in this post by Incognito

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=17481&highlight=monkton+farleigh


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## flyboys90 (Feb 16, 2012)

Your right it is colourful,great pics.


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## tank2020 (Feb 16, 2012)

oldscrote said:


> Always nice to see photos from here.The tunnel itself however only scratches the surface of the size and complexity of what lies beyond the hole in the wall with the howling gale.
> 
> http://www.monkton-farleigh.co.uk/sc_monktonfarleigh1.htm
> 
> ...



I wonder if there is a way to the other side without using the tunnel


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## krela (Feb 16, 2012)

Not to the bits on the other side of the wall at the end of the tunnel no, there isn't. They're very firmly in very secure use.


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## crickleymal (Feb 17, 2012)

krela said:


> Not to the bits on the other side of the wall at the end of the tunnel no, there isn't. They're very firmly in very secure use.



Wansdyke Security I believe and they don't take kindly to people trying to break in. Indeed why should they?

There's some excellent graffiti down there both modern and wartime.


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## FFerret (Feb 17, 2012)

Blimey, I havent visited for a couple of years and its now...........er very colourful, but not to my taste.


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## FFerret (Feb 17, 2012)

By the way Tank2020 thanks for posting the picture of how it was when used, not seen that one before.


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## godzilla73 (Feb 18, 2012)

Good stuff tank.The reason yer boy was probably moaning was the one in four incline. Its a big old hill you're walking around in there. Makes coming down fun though. (Except when you fall over and nearly brain yourself, like I did. (Sorry Fluff!) 
Godzy


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## tank2020 (Feb 18, 2012)

krela said:


> Not to the bits on the other side of the wall at the end of the tunnel no, there isn't. They're very firmly in very secure use.



These little guys made it, dammit! a while ago it must be said.

http://www.collinsfamily.co.uk/monkton/index.htm


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## Landsker (Feb 18, 2012)

tank2020 said:


> These little guys made it, dammit! a while ago it must be said.
> 
> http://www.collinsfamily.co.uk/monkton/index.htm



UK's youngest explorers?


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## oldscrote (Feb 18, 2012)

tank2020 said:


> These little guys made it, dammit! a while ago it must be said.
> 
> http://www.collinsfamily.co.uk/monkton/index.htm



A grand set of pictures by the Collins Tank but unfortunately not actually inside the ammo dump.What you have there is a bit of the old workings that the M.O.D. decided not to convert due to the instability of the roof because of the nearness to the front of the hill.When Nick McCamley had the the place as a museum back in the 80s he broke into that section,mainly to see what was there.


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