This place has been open for a while now but still nothing was going up; but with recent events (nutter with a baseball bat) it looks like the green flag has been issued for reports.
Big thanks to @wellingtonian , @Lenston and @rigsby for giving me the heads up about this place - turned out it was around the corner from me so over the past few months I've visited the place a lot. Oddly enough though I didn't seem to bring my camera much but was a nice place to relax with a can of Pimm's, play on a "bucking bronco", skateboarding around and watch someone take a swim in a the well.
History
Bethel Quarry started it’s life in the hands of the Bath and Portland Stone Company but when quarrying finished it was put to a new use by the Agaric Mushroom company as a mushroom farm. With it’s constant temperature and dark conditions it is the perfect location for mushroom growth.
In 1939 the War Department requisitioned the quarry, carried out some strengthening work and used the quarry to store naval anti-aircraft parts, radio direction finding equipment and optical equipment during the Second World War.
After the war the quarry was handed back to the mushroom company, this was because the roof level was to low in places making it unsuitable for military use plus near-by Copenacre Quarry was big enough for the Royal Navy’s storage needs by this time.
The quarry was soon put back to use as a mushroom farm until it closed in September 2010.
Some mushroom posters from the quarry staff room:
Gas-mask mong:
The quarry had section names throughout (@wellingtonian 's report has some great pictures of these) as the quarry itself if pretty samey with the lime covered walls these signs made it easy to navigate yourself around.
Gloves, glorious gloves!!
Nothing says "let's have a party" like a big ball of gloves.
Traditional urbex christmas tree.
Big thanks to @wellingtonian , @Lenston and @rigsby for giving me the heads up about this place - turned out it was around the corner from me so over the past few months I've visited the place a lot. Oddly enough though I didn't seem to bring my camera much but was a nice place to relax with a can of Pimm's, play on a "bucking bronco", skateboarding around and watch someone take a swim in a the well.
History
Bethel Quarry started it’s life in the hands of the Bath and Portland Stone Company but when quarrying finished it was put to a new use by the Agaric Mushroom company as a mushroom farm. With it’s constant temperature and dark conditions it is the perfect location for mushroom growth.
In 1939 the War Department requisitioned the quarry, carried out some strengthening work and used the quarry to store naval anti-aircraft parts, radio direction finding equipment and optical equipment during the Second World War.
After the war the quarry was handed back to the mushroom company, this was because the roof level was to low in places making it unsuitable for military use plus near-by Copenacre Quarry was big enough for the Royal Navy’s storage needs by this time.
The quarry was soon put back to use as a mushroom farm until it closed in September 2010.
Some mushroom posters from the quarry staff room:
Gas-mask mong:
The quarry had section names throughout (@wellingtonian 's report has some great pictures of these) as the quarry itself if pretty samey with the lime covered walls these signs made it easy to navigate yourself around.
Gloves, glorious gloves!!
Nothing says "let's have a party" like a big ball of gloves.
Traditional urbex christmas tree.
