Deep within the Wiltshire countryside lies some old quarries. During the war, many were taken over by the army to store ammunition. Due to their nature, these quarries were extremely secretive and bomb-proof.
You can find out more about Monkton Farleigh here and other nearby quarries on the same site.
Farleigh Down Sidings was one of the main railway loading depots for the underground storage.
Transit shed
Outside is relatively unassuming. From the sky it would’ve looked like a small goods shed beside the railway line. There would’ve been a few platforms but these have now been demolished.
Sorting yard/slope shaft
Ammunition was unloaded from the main railway network onto small narrow gauge wagons. These were taken below ground to a sorting yard where they were loaded onto the conveyor.
Tunnel
The tunnel is well over a mile long, with a conveyor running the length of it (albeit smashed up/removed in some parts). Halfway up, the tunnel changed from a square concrete tunnel to an arched brick tunnel. The tunnel has been sealed up but this would have led to the ammunition storage network.
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