Limpley Stoke Quarries
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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Although there are signs of small-scale quarrying around the hill that forms most of Limpley Stoke, the main working is underground. Stoke Quarry is operated by the Bath Stone Group. Recent use of Stoke stone can be seen in the modern Bath Spa building and the facing of the Southgate development in Bath.
The photographs were taken during a visit by Bradford on Avon Museum Society members several years ago.
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Cutting the stone out of the bed used to be a laborious business that was carried out by hand, using long-handled picks and saws. Today it is cut by mechanical saws and pneumatic drills.
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Blocks that have been cut out from the bed are stacked underground where they will not be affected by changes in humidity and temperature. Haulage in the tunnels is carried out by tractors rather than horses and for stacking a fork-lift truck has replaced cranes.
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Large blocks that have been hauled to the surface up a slope shaft
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Cutting the stone into blocks is carried out by masons’ yards elsewhere.