Shapwick Grange Chalk Quarry, East Devon, 06/08

[underitall]

Me and FoxyLady recently had an axplore to Cannington Viaduct and Shapwick Grange Chalk Quarry, which were both amazing and well worth a visit.
Info on this can be found at:
FoxyLadys Shapwick Thread
I wont go onto much detail apart from it being a great explore, and thanks to FoxyLady for showing me around.

One of the first things you are greeted by:

A reflective view looking at a window.

A panorama looking over the main part of the quarry, including the conveyor.

Conveyor again.

Looking back from the wobbly conveyor, which made it hard to focus!

Lights and another over-view.

Through the window.

Rather interesting Control Panel.

And a great tranquil (Spelling?) to wake up to and enjoy.

Thanks for looking Foxy might add hers later.

 

[Foxylady]

Nice one, Underitall. This was a really good explore as we were able to get into the control room and the crusher pen. Also, because most of the site had dried out we were able to access the excavations (without getting stuck in a heap of wet chalk as happened to me last time! ).
There's also been recent activity and it looks as though work is starting up here again...new conveyors added, highway maintenance trucks and a new mobile office.
Enjoyed seeing your pics, U. I will add mine once I've got the film processed tomorrow.

 

[Foxylady]

More Photos.

Some of my photos from the day. It was my third visit there and each time there's been a lot more to explore.

A conveyor that wasn't there on my previous visits.

Lots of new girders, new piles of excavated material in the holding shed and a new conveyor leading to the shed from the original conveyor construction.

Underitall on top of the rig and a new cat on the scene.

The wall made of stone blocks at the top has largely been removed.

The dry weather enabled the excavations to be accessed. This is the smaller one.

Gouge marks from the cat.

View of part of the site from the smaller excavations.

A view of the top part of the large excavation. It's massive and drops a long way down. Unfortunately the photos don't do the scale justice.

I have more photos of the control room and crusher etc, but they're on a film which I haven't finished yet. I might add a few when I get the prints back.
Cheers.

 

[underitall]

Great shots FoxyLady, different peoples views make it even better, cheers again for that!

 

[MD]

looks a good expore plenty to see

love the colors of the rocks and rusty stuff

 

[*MrB*]

Nice one guys, looks a good site with plenty to see and explore

 

[fire*fly]

the quarry looks more interesting than I would have thought, nice one guys

 

[Foxylady]

And some more

Sorry this has taken so long but I only got the film processed today after finally finishing it up. Some more of the rest of my pics.

Funky cog on the conveyor belt machinery.

Switch room.

Cute trundly generator.

Switchgear.

From there we went down to the crusher.

And there's a few more.

 

[Foxylady]

Base of the hopper feeding into the crusher.

Das Crusher.

Conveyors.

The main excavation.

The pond has shrunk with the drier weather but we found it full of Water Boatmen, Pond Skaters and Newts. There was rather a lovely Damsel Fly hovering over it too.

To give a sense of the scale, I've included one of Underitall. It still doesn't seem to convey how huge it is though! Hope you've enjoyed.

 

[BigLoada]

Wow check out those screens! Great stuff guys you got some pretty cool photos there. Quarries are wicked, always loadsa great machinery

 

[Foxylady]

Thanks for all your comments everyone. BigL, I've got 5 more quarries on my list...I'm totally besotted with them now!

 

[BigLoada]

Yep quarries are great, but I still prefer mines

 

[spacepunk]

SuperfantasticMagic.
Foxylady.....Don't you have a digital camera?

 

[underitall]

Hi FL, thanks again for that day, those pics turned out great, well done, I may just have to have a wonder aorund one near me shortly, even though its stil live.

 

[Foxylady]

SuperfantasticMagic.
Foxylady.....Don't you have a digital camera?

Cheers Spacepunk. No, I was thinking of getting one at some stage but for me the pros of 35mm outweigh the cons so I'm sticking with it now...no need for a tripod, and great results in dark places for less than a second exposure plus I can just sling it around my neck and off we go! I've dropped it several times too and it still keeps going.

Cheers Underitall. You're well welcome re the day out. I was having a look on Google Earth at the quarries on Portland. I'd be interested to see any photos you get. Good luck with that.

 

[borntobemild]

Fantastic pics.

I love old quarries.

Particularly like that strange dial in the original set of photos. Can't work out what it does. Looks like the steering gear on a ship!

 

[Sabtr]

Very nice there. In one of those pics (9) I thought I was looking at a poorly skip with a drip nearby!
The Grundy generator thing is a portable welder probably used for fixing the machinery. It was good that you managed to get a pic of a crusher - as yet we have still to find one.
Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[BigLoada]

Very nice there. In one of those pics (9) I thought I was looking at a poorly skip with a drip nearby!
The Grundy generator thing is a portable welder probably used for fixing the machinery. It was good that you managed to get a pic of a crusher - as yet we have still to find one.
Thanks for sharing with us.

Didnt we see a rotary crusher at Millstone Quarry, that time we were inside the shed and all those hikers stopped for tea outside and we were trapped in?

By the way, picture 8 that thing that looks like a variac, whereabouts was it? Was it in the controlroom for the crusher/

 

[Foxylady]

Particularly like that strange dial in the original set of photos. Can't work out what it does. Looks like the steering gear on a ship!

That was on the...

...portable welder probably used for fixing the machinery...

Which I thought may have been a portable generator (cheers Sausage ).

whereabouts was it? Was it in the controlroom for the crusher/

...which was in the Switch Room with another similar wheelie.

Thanks chaps.