# Lower Balls Green Mine - May2011



## crickleymal (May 17, 2011)

Lower Balls Green mine is another freestone quarry worked (I think) at about the same time as Box but possibly even a bit later. The rock was prised out without saws then worked underground. It appears that no cranes were used at all in this mine unlike Upper Balls Green mine nearby. There was a rockfall along the main passage which appears to have stopped work as a crushed wagon is under the fall and an intact one just the other side. There are large quantities of worked stone behind the fall.

The floors are built up with quarry waste as they are in Box and other mines. Around the start of WW2 this waste was extracted and used to make the runways at Aston Down airfield near Stroud. The depth of waste can be seen near the entrance.












Why are there rocks suspended by chains? If anyone knows let me know. And yes they are bra sized!















Crushed wagon










And this it what it should look like!










Assorted grafitti





Worked stone after the fall





Loading bay




















Pillar robbing!










These rocks are the old sleepers or supports for the railway





The depth of waste


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## fluffy5518 (May 17, 2011)

Mate this is seriously fantastic stuff !! Your pictures are top quality too !! Have done a few of the more well known big quarries but have not even heard of this place. The crushed wagon and picture of the one (alive n well ) on t'other side are stonkin' !!


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## crickleymal (May 17, 2011)

Thanks. There are quite a few little stone mines in the Cotswolds. This site ought to whet your appetite

http://www.choghole.co.uk/COLOURPHOTOS.htm


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## fluffy5518 (May 18, 2011)

Mate !! Believe me i'm wetted !!! Fantastic stuff show us some more !!


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## oldscrote (May 18, 2011)

Love this mate always a sucker for a stone quarry.Were the stones chained to the wall permanently attached or were they easily removable for use.If removable they could be tap stones for checking the quality of cut block,a faultless stone wild ring a faulted block would give out a dull thud.The crushed wagon and the complete one I doubt would have been used for transporting block stone but for the removal of spoil and I reckon are are contemporary with the spoil removal for the airfield use you mentioned.The picture of the track shows virtually no use ,being laid on top of the roadway and hasn't sunk in or been covered in grunge as it would have if it had been there for some time.


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## crickleymal (May 18, 2011)

oldscrote said:


> Love this mate always a sucker for a stone quarry.Were the stones chained to the wall permanently attached or were they easily removable for use.If removable they could be tap stones for checking the quality of cut block,a faultless stone wild ring a faulted block would give out a dull thud.The crushed wagon and the complete one I doubt would have been used for transporting block stone but for the removal of spoil and I reckon are are contemporary with the spoil removal for the airfield use you mentioned.The picture of the track shows virtually no use ,being laid on top of the roadway and hasn't sunk in or been covered in grunge as it would have if it had been there for some time.



To be honest they were about 6 or 7 feet up the wall so it's difficult to see whether they were removable. There is a stone in one of the falls that actually rings like a piece of metal when you tap it.
And yes I agree the wagons were definitely for removing spoil not stone. You can see wheel ruts under the rails (probably not on my photos though) and in other places so a road wagon was used. Couldn't see a rut for the horses hooves though.


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## King Al (May 18, 2011)

Great find crickleymal!! cool pics


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## Mole Man (May 18, 2011)

Great place, have you done the upper one, that’s worth a look in.
Thanks for the post;

I must get back up there sometime.


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## crickleymal (May 19, 2011)

Mole Man said:


> Great place, have you done the upper one, that’s worth a look in.
> Thanks for the post;



Yes and the tiddly little one 20 yards to the left of it too. I've not done the one on the W though.


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## Foxylady (May 20, 2011)

Cracking mine, this. Some excellent remains too.
I was particularly interested in the graffiti in case there was a connection with the stone cutters from Box and Beer quarries. Didin't notice any though, although I reckon Oldscrote would know more.
Nice one, Crickley.


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## oldscrote (May 21, 2011)

although I reckon Oldscrote would know more.
Nice one, Crickley. [/QUOTE]

Had a good look on the Graffiti, names that could be read, Fletcher, Jenner, Avening ,Boyd ,Whiting 1938 ,Workman, Green .and Treasure.I didn't spot any with a link to Box/Corsham or Beer that I know of.The treasure name has an arrow above it so it might be' here be treasure' sort of thing rather than a name. X marks the spot, start digging.


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