I can remember feeling slightly nervous when I first walked into the Quarryman's Arms and asked for the key..
It shouldn't be this easy surely? 90km of dark passages, the secret red door, so many years of history and hard labor hidden under the earth, and all you have to do is ask the barman for the key?
"Would you like to buy a map too?"
Yes it was that easy. I'd spent hours trawling the web to find a survey, get it printed in a usable size and planned a route for our first trip into these catacombs. I could have just followed the guide on the back.
But this didn't really make us any less trepid about our trip below ground. I'd done bunkers galore, spent hours in ROTOR installations and tunnels, but here there was not just a chance of getting lost - it was a certainty.
The stone around Box was first mined in times of the Roman occupation and the mine system has gradually extended in a fairly chaotic pattern since. Work stopped in the 1970's although certain parts were disused far before this. The site is famous for bordering on Burlington's 'underground city' the vast network of Tunnel and Spring quarry taken over by the military as a command centre should it be needed.
We were fully prepared for our trip with helmets, headtorches, spare torches and left details and times with a friend as we unbolted Backdoor and snaked through the entrance crawl. The passageway opened up quickly and we check the map and compass, it's that way! Cathedral's the first stop....
Andddddd we're lost.
That first trip wasn't a failure by any means but of the planned route around central and northern box? Maybe we managed 5%.
I've been to Box Mines countless times since, got the bug. I feel at home stopping into the Quarryman's for a pint to discuss the day's events. I've learnt my way around. I've learnt that no matter how well you know the mines you will get lost in North West central. I've learnt the real essentials for mine exploration are actually cheese and red wine.
There is always another trip planned. I fucking love this place.
From a trip in December i think, was this some of you?
It shouldn't be this easy surely? 90km of dark passages, the secret red door, so many years of history and hard labor hidden under the earth, and all you have to do is ask the barman for the key?
"Would you like to buy a map too?"
Yes it was that easy. I'd spent hours trawling the web to find a survey, get it printed in a usable size and planned a route for our first trip into these catacombs. I could have just followed the guide on the back.
But this didn't really make us any less trepid about our trip below ground. I'd done bunkers galore, spent hours in ROTOR installations and tunnels, but here there was not just a chance of getting lost - it was a certainty.
The stone around Box was first mined in times of the Roman occupation and the mine system has gradually extended in a fairly chaotic pattern since. Work stopped in the 1970's although certain parts were disused far before this. The site is famous for bordering on Burlington's 'underground city' the vast network of Tunnel and Spring quarry taken over by the military as a command centre should it be needed.
We were fully prepared for our trip with helmets, headtorches, spare torches and left details and times with a friend as we unbolted Backdoor and snaked through the entrance crawl. The passageway opened up quickly and we check the map and compass, it's that way! Cathedral's the first stop....
Andddddd we're lost.
That first trip wasn't a failure by any means but of the planned route around central and northern box? Maybe we managed 5%.
I've been to Box Mines countless times since, got the bug. I feel at home stopping into the Quarryman's for a pint to discuss the day's events. I've learnt my way around. I've learnt that no matter how well you know the mines you will get lost in North West central. I've learnt the real essentials for mine exploration are actually cheese and red wine.
There is always another trip planned. I fucking love this place.
From a trip in December i think, was this some of you?
finally getting round to heading up there soon and have everything sorted for it, bloke in the pub is really friendly! and I can vouch the key situation is true, he doesn't hand it out anymore but is a very helpful person 
: Totally forgot! Luckily they hadn't called anyone out yet!
