{"id":585,"date":"2012-02-23T21:34:31","date_gmt":"2012-02-23T21:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thetimechamber.co.uk\/blog\/?p=585"},"modified":"2013-01-29T14:22:48","modified_gmt":"2013-01-29T14:22:48","slug":"navigating-box-quarry-sense-of-direction-not-included","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetimechamber.co.uk\/beta\/blog\/navigating-box-quarry-sense-of-direction-not-included","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Box Quarry – sense of direction not included"},"content":{"rendered":"

Box Mine is one of the largest Freestone Quarries in the Bath Area, it covers over 15 miles of under ground tunnels, dead ends, cranes and cross roads. \u00a0All of which looks very similar. Very, very similar. It is also a publicly\u00a0accessible quarry and has a handily located pub right next door. This is unlike a large number of the other underground quarries in the Bath area which have been used for storage, or more ominously, MOD operations. We recommend you head to Google after reading this post and search for Burlington, and prepare to be amazed.<\/p>\n

With this in ours minds and looking for something to do, we decided to join a group of friends and attempt to see the sites that Box has to offer. Nearly the entire group had never seen the quarry before, yet ourselves and\u00a0RatsnRuins<\/a>\u00a0had the most experience. \u00a0Which wasn’t a great deal and accumulated\u00a0to a few very quick whirlwind tours to see the tourist spots of Box. \u00a0This meant we were designated guides (and I couldn’t leave the Rat hanging by his tail). Armed with more torches, batteries and jaffa cakes than we could carry, we set off in the direction of the backdoor…<\/p>\n

First up was the\u00a0Cathedral. I set off pretending I knew exactly where I was going and started to lead the group. In reality I was following the scrawled directions on the wall that led us to the Cathedral. \u00a0Essentially this is a huge chasm that was mined vertically over 150 years ago, with the stone being hoisted 100ft up through the ceiling.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After this, things begun to temporarily unravel and we managed to misplace the world around us. \u00a0Or less poetically, we were lost and had to relearn our lefts and rights. We had led the entire group down a dead end and when we tried to back track to where we thought we went wrong, we found another dead end. \u00a0At this point, hunched over a map, we collectively thought ‘oh shit’. \u00a0We had said to the pub that we would be out after4 hours, and with all the faffing in the cathedral, we had been underground almost 2 hours. So another panicked\u00a0look at the map did in fact reveal we were lost. \u00a0With this, we back tracked again and realised at our age that we should know which was is left and which way is right.<\/p>\n

We\u00a0eventually\u00a0found our way onto the main haulage route (B12) and set off in the direction of the ‘Robots’, which have been created from the\u00a0remnants\u00a0of old MOD bricks and are set in a massive crossroads. It is a random and comedic scene to discover when you are miles underground.<\/p>\n

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Now on my last trip down Box over four years ago, the group I was with decided to cause a\u00a0sacrilegious act\u00a0and demolish a large amount of the robots. \u00a0We had a plan though. \u00a0And like most males, we were thinking big. \u00a0Giant Robot Big. \u00a0And four years later, it still stands, lording it over the minions. As we turned the corner, KingRat and I burst into a fit of laughter as The Giant cast its shadow over us! \u00a0Note: I think it has now be demolished!<\/p>\n

Anyway, after a brief reunion and a spot of cheese and wine we set off into the dark again. \u00a0This time to see Brewers Drift and the red door of\u00a0mystery, we also saw a few other little spots. \u00a0It was on our way out that we ended up lost again. \u00a0But this time, we were following\u00a0previous\u00a0directions on the wall and not our own senseless direction. \u00a0Both of which stopped dead and decided it was a good time to leave, abandoning and head for some chips. This was after we had all crawled over some deads and into the world muddiest cavern. \u00a0So we turned back, and then realised we should head back through the same way. \u00a0With a little toing, froing and minor flapping – whilst the rest of the group enjoying a quick and unexpected break – we finally found our way.<\/p>\n

Which led to the pub, for a well earned bowl of chips and half a dozen double yokers. \u00a0Top stuff.<\/p>\n

(You may notice the lack of photos, and for once, I wasn’t really taking any. \u00a0With the navigating, climbing and fretting, photos never cross our mind. \u00a0Next time, it will be a slow photo tour).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Box Mine is one of the largest Freestone Quarries in the Bath Area, it covers over 15 miles of under ground tunnels, dead ends, cranes and cross roads. \u00a0All of which looks very similar. Very, very similar. It is also a publicly\u00a0accessible quarry and has a handily located pub right next door. This is unlike … <\/p>\n

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