# Limestone Quarry, Beer, Devon.



## Foxylady (Oct 18, 2008)

As far as I can find out, this quarry began it's life sometime before 1883, when work in the Old Quarry (now known as the Beer Quarry Caves) gradually began to be phased out. Dating back to the time of the Romans, sometime after AD47 when the end of the Fosse Way was completed at Axmouth, the Beer Quarry Caves is now a tourist attraction. Info on that site can be found here...

http://www.beerquarrycaves.fsnet.co.uk/BEERQU~1/Beer_Quarry_Cx.html

Known simply as Beer quarry, these workings are on the north side of the road, and separate from the original Old Quarry. In recent years it has been worked by Hanson Aggregates and is now completely abandoned.

Visited with Neosea last month (his photos are much better than mine, methinks  ). Thanks for driving, Neo.  An extensive site with several buildings and some amazing surprises.







Loading sheds.
















Site Office and weighbridge.





















More to follow...


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## Foxylady (Oct 18, 2008)

And then there was this...











Looking almost like a Napoleonic fort, it's the outface of the original limestone block quarry, which was continued as the Old Quarry was gradually phased out. We went inside.






Old switchgear near the entrance.


























And some more...


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## Foxylady (Oct 18, 2008)

And we also found this...

A large workshop containing machinery and tools.































Boat in the workshop!  Interestingly, the traditional male occupations in the village of Beer were Quarrying, Fishing and Smuggling.






And leading off from the workshop was a storeroom. As well as the most delightful chests of drawers, storage shelving and old machine tools, thare was a bizarre amount of children's toys and christmas decorations. 











And finally, the modern-day excavations.
















Cheers


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## borntobemild (Oct 18, 2008)

Wow - fantastic place.

More to see than the Show Caves opposite. From what I remember they were a bit of a disappointment.


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## skittles (Oct 18, 2008)

Love your photos

Interesting place


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## escortmad79 (Oct 18, 2008)

Been derelict for a while, Wayne Balsden's been dead for at least 5 years!!


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## BigLoada (Oct 18, 2008)

Nice! I like all the old machinery and office stuff still lying around. That warning sign is ace too!


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## Foxylady (Oct 18, 2008)

Cheers for your comments, guys. 

Borntobemild, I can understand what you're saying, because the differences in the various sections are minimal. I've visited the Quarry Caves twice now, and for me I find it fascinating because of the history and the local content...there's been something new to learn each time.

This explore, however, was brilliant. I suspect I'll be back again sometime soon for another look around...and maybe I'll find my torch where I think I lost it!


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## oldscrote (Oct 19, 2008)

*23 years ago*

At least a rough estimate of elapsed time. Myself and Tony{Pru}Comer were invited to visit Beer Quarries.Within 60 ft of the entrance we were astounded by the similarity to the Box method of winning stone.On further investigation we found miners graffiti of old Box names .Apparently the family of Pictors had had a bust up and one of them had hitailed it to Beer with a few Wiltshire quarry families and for a while made a go of it.It would be interesting to know if the names are still there along with the chog holes an lewis bolt slots in the roof for hauling the cranes upright.A local legend {told to us by a lively lovely old boy} was that the quarry went all the way through to the sea cliff,well we went in till our way was blocked by a very large roof fall when we thought that enough was enough.anyway you can't go to Beer without drinking beer.


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## RichardB (Oct 19, 2008)

A seashell ashtray, I'd forgotten about those! 

It's another of those sites where they seem to have worked as normal right up to the last day then just walked away.


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## Foxylady (Oct 19, 2008)

oldscrote said:


> It would be interesting to know if the names are still there along with the chog holes an lewis bolt slots in the roof for hauling the cranes upright.A local legend {told to us by a lively lovely old boy} was that the quarry went all the way through to the sea cliff,well we went in till our way was blocked by a very large roof fall when we thought that enough was enough.anyway you can't go to Beer without drinking beer.



Yes, there's still the original graffiti, bolts and holes in the Beer Quarry Caves. Neosea posted a report about them in the Underground forum and I've added a photo of some of the graf...bad pic though, so not very clear.
Apparently the legend tells that the tunnel to the cliff was used by smugglers, but it's never been found. The quarries were used by smugglers to hide their contraband, though, as there have been remains to verify that as well as historical accounts.
Great bit of info, oldscrote. Cheers for that. Oh, and you can't go to Devon at all without drinking beer, imo.


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## Foxylady (Oct 19, 2008)

RichardB said:


> A seashell ashtray, I'd forgotten about those!
> It's another of those sites where they seem to have worked as normal right up to the last day then just walked away.



 Awful blinking things, weren't they!
It does, doesn't it! It always amazes me how all the office stuff is just left like that.


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## MD (Oct 19, 2008)

nice report i could spend hours in there
"teds dream" classic


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## Foxylady (Oct 19, 2008)

mattdonut said:


> nice report i could spend hours in there
> "teds dream" classic



Cheers matt...I'm definitely going back at some point to spend some more hours.
 Looks like his dream faded a bit!


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## RichardB (Oct 19, 2008)

Ted's Dream reminds me of [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ueYxrA-Zs"]Dignity[/ame] by Deacon Blue.


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## escortmad79 (Oct 19, 2008)

escortmad79 said:


> Been derelict for a while, Wayne Balsden's been dead for at least 5 years!!


Sorry that should read Wally Balsden, Wayne's his son (He runs Balsden plant hire)


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## Seahorse (Oct 21, 2008)

All very nice. But what the heck are PROTECTIG goggles?????

And why would you need to wear them while playing WHIST??????


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## Foxylady (Oct 21, 2008)

Seahorse said:


> All very nice. But what the heck are PROTECTIG goggles?????
> 
> And why would you need to wear them while playing WHIST??????



I had to look at that again!  Ah, but don't forget, it's a whist machine!


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## Intriguediow (Sep 5, 2021)

oldscrote said:


> *23 years ago*
> 
> At least a rough estimate of elapsed time. Myself and Tony{Pru}Comer were invited to visit Beer Quarries.Within 60 ft of the entrance we were astounded by the similarity to the Box method of winning stone.On further investigation we found miners graffiti of old Box names .Apparently the family of Pictors had had a bust up and one of them had hitailed it to Beer with a few Wiltshire quarry families and for a while made a go of it.It would be interesting to know if the names are still there along with the chog holes an lewis bolt slots in the roof for hauling the cranes upright.A local legend {told to us by a lively lovely old boy} was that the quarry went all the way through to the sea cliff,well we went in till our way was blocked by a very large roof fall when we thought that enough was enough.anyway you can't go to Beer without drinking beer.


Hi Oldscrote - I am a descendant of the Pictor family, and recently read in "Out of the Stone" by Norman Bezzant about the rift in the family, and connection with Beer Quarries. I had never heard of the family member who went there, and have no idea of who this might have been. Can you provide any further details, or source of this information? Many thanks


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## Hayman (Sep 6, 2021)

Intriguediow said:


> Hi Oldscrote - I am a descendant of the Pictor family, and recently read in "Out of the Stone" by Norman Bezzant about the rift in the family, and connection with Beer Quarries. I had never heard of the family member who went there, and have no idea of who this might have been. Can you provide any further details, or source of this information? Many thanks


I've been to Box many times. I was there this morning and talking with someone who used to work in one of the quarries in the area. Derek Hawkins's Bath Stone Quarries book is an excellent record of the quarries in that part of Wiltshire and further afield. It is filled with page after page of photographs. And the name Pictor occurs again and again.


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## Intriguediow (Sep 7, 2021)

Dear Foxlady - thankyou, that sounds like an excellent source of information and I will look into it. I am in touch with other Pictor descendents, including in Bolivia and Canada amongst others, so can pass on some of this information to them.


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## Foxylady (Sep 7, 2021)

Cheers, Intrigediow. However, it was Hayman who gave you the info about the book. I'm glad you enjoyed the post, though. It's a great place but sadly I never managed to go back for another visit. Going past on the bus a few years ago it looked as thought the office had been cleared from the site (the only bit visible through the main gate) but I don't know what's happened to the rest of the buildings. I have a photo of some very old graffiti in the opposite Quarry Caves, where the Pictor family worked, but the only thing you can make out on it is the date 1750. I'll put it in anyway, in case you can decipher something of it.

And, welcome to DP, btw. Nice to meet you. 

Y'ere 'tis! I had a very bad camera day in there and as you can see, it's a really bad photo!


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## Intriguediow (Sep 7, 2021)

Many thanks FoxLady - that's fascinating, and a bit of a mystery! I think I may have seen a TV programme a while back, with Michael Portillo visiting Beer Quarry....


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## Hayman (Sep 8, 2021)

Foxylady said:


> Cheers, Intrigediow. However, it was Hayman who gave you the info about the book. I'm glad you enjoyed the post, though. It's a great place but sadly I never managed to go back for another visit. Going past on the bus a few years ago it looked as thought the office had been cleared from the site (the only bit visible through the main gate) but I don't know what's happened to the rest of the buildings. I have a photo of some very old graffiti in the opposite Quarry Caves, where the Pictor family worked, but the only thing you can make out on it is the date 1750. I'll put it in anyway, in case you can decipher something of it.
> 
> And, welcome to DP, btw. Nice to meet you.
> 
> ...


Try putting a thin handkerchief or something similar over the flash aperture on the camera - to soften the beam. It may dull the bright spot produced when taking close-up pics.


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## Foxylady (Sep 8, 2021)

Hayman said:


> Try putting a thin handkerchief or something similar over the flash aperture on the camera - to soften the beam. It may dull the bright spot produced when taking close-up pics.


It's a good idea but I don't have flash on my camera; everything's taken in natural light. Unfortunately it was almost pitch black in there, lol. The spotlight was from a torch. Not easy to do when you have to hold the camera still for very long exposures at the same time. I should have taken a tripod but my camera is so good with low lighting that I didn't think to do that.


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## Hayman (Sep 9, 2021)

Foxylady said:


> It's a good idea but I don't have flash on my camera; everything's taken in natural light. Unfortunately it was almost pitch black in there, lol. The spotlight was from a torch. Not easy to do when you have to hold the camera still for very long exposures at the same time. I should have taken a tripod but my camera is so good with low lighting that I didn't think to do that.


Sorry - I thought the bright spot was the flash from the camera. The same method works with a torch: soften the beam and spread the light. Also try not to point the torch straight at the wall; at around 45 degrees the light will be spread over a larger area. Do have a mini-tripod, the sort that is about six inches long? For decades I have had one that contains an internal section that can be unscrewed, and then rescrewed with the three small feet locked in place for use. It can be placed against any surface. The head with the screw to hold the camera swivels to be locked at any angle. I've used it on all manner of cameras. Today there are plenty of mini-tripods to choose from.


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## Foxylady (Sep 9, 2021)

Yes, that's a good idea, Hayman. Definitely worth looking into. I rarely take my big tripod out, although I've found it very useful for beating down brambles and nettles and for holding down barbed wire to climb over. Otherwise it's a pain having to carry it (I don't drive so I bus and walk everywhere). A small one would be ideal to go in my backpack. Something I do with a torch when I have a free hand is to move it around to spread the light when taking with long exposures, but again, it's something I rarely need in most explores.


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## Intriguediow (Sep 10, 2021)

Hayman said:


> I've been to Box many times. I was there this morning and talking with someone who used to work in one of the quarries in the area. Derek Hawkins's Bath Stone Quarries book is an excellent record of the quarries in that part of Wiltshire and further afield. It is filled with page after page of photographs. And the name Pictor occurs again and again.


Many thanks for this Hayman - I will definitely look out for the book! Chris


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## Hayman (Sep 10, 2021)

Foxylady said:


> Yes, that's a good idea, Hayman. Definitely worth looking into. I rarely take my big tripod out, although I've found it very useful for beating down brambles and nettles and for holding down barbed wire to climb over. Otherwise it's a pain having to carry it (I don't drive so I bus and walk everywhere). A small one would be ideal to go in my backpack. Something I do with a torch when I have a free hand is to move it around to spread the light when taking with long exposures, but again, it's something I rarely need in most explores.


I'm pleased you have discovered the method of using a time exposure and sweeping an area with a torch to illuminate the whole subject. I've done that myself.


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## Hayman (Sep 10, 2021)

Intriguediow said:


> Many thanks for this Hayman - I will definitely look out for the book! Chris


A pleasure. There is also his book on the underground military installations past and present in the area. And it is still possible to walk most of the length of the underground conveyor tunnel at Monkton Farleigh.


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