# Farleigh Down Sidings - Sept 17



## krela (Sep 17, 2017)

Snailsford got a new DSLR to play with and wanted someone to do a few splores with so given we live about a mile away from each other it would be rude not to really. I decided to take him here and show him the joys of lightpainting even if I am extremely rusty with it myself. 

The history, taken from Subbrit:

Subterranea Britannica: Sites: Monkton Farleigh Ammunition Depot - Farleigh Down Tunnel

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.

The tunnel to the railway sidings at Shockerwick was a key feature of Monkton Farleigh mine, offering a secure route, invisible to aerial reconnaissance. The tunnel terminated at a loading platform thirty feet below ground level at a right angle to the main-line platform. The design was finalized in December, 1938, and by the end of the following year the upper terminus was completed. Boring the one-and-a-quarter-mile-long tunnel was a specialist task completed under contract by the Cementation Company. The tunnel runs from quarry floor level near Main West to the underground loading platform near the main line railway at a constant gradient of 1:81/2. Deep tunneling was required for the top half of the route whilst the lower half is at or just below ground level and was constructed by the `cut and cover' method. A depth of 180 feet was reached near the edge of the Farleigh Down escarpment.

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In more modern times it's been used for free parties and as a practice grounds for artists. I certainly wouldn't know about either of those things. 

I didn't get any photos of the tunnel itself as I let Snailsford do that part, his photos to follow. 
















That Voyder gets around a bit, there's another one in this report, wonder if you can spot it. 
















A rare lesser spotted Snailsford. 




Cheers for reading.


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## smiler (Sep 17, 2017)

Muppet found twenty quid here, paid for our fish n chips on the way home, worth a visit, Nice One, Thanks


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## krela (Sep 17, 2017)

smiler said:


> Muppet found twenty quid here



That was mine, I want it back.


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## smiler (Sep 17, 2017)

krela said:


> That was mine, I want it back.



When Muppet got it, no chance, sorry boss,


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## Snailsford (Sep 17, 2017)

Lovely day out and alot of lessons learnt, a pair of jeans down, and some good photos...


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## smiler (Sep 17, 2017)

The tunnel rat is surviving well, I enjoyed it, Thanks


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## HughieD (Sep 17, 2017)

Interesting stuff. Enjoyed both of your sets of pics gents.


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## BikinGlynn (Sep 18, 2017)

Nice that< must pay that one a visit myself one day!


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## Brewtal (Sep 18, 2017)

Nice work from both of you! Really enjoyed having a wander down here with Gromr123 before the meet up in April. Thanks for sharing!


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## mookster (Sep 18, 2017)

One I must pay a visit to as well at some point. Still looking exactly how it did years ago ha.


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## SlimJim (Sep 18, 2017)

Good stuff chaps, well done. I wouldn't mind having a pop at this myself, looks like a good mooch. Perhaps when the next DP meet comes around.


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## Mikeymutt (Sep 18, 2017)

Nice report from you two.some nice colours there.so glad you took your camera krela


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## krela (Sep 18, 2017)

Thanks folks.


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