Box Freestone Mine, Wiltshire :: July 2010

Box Mine in Wiltshire holds some incredible memories for me. Our first visit to Box Mine was in March 2010 and since then, we’ve been back more times than I can remember!

One of the largest Limestone Quarries in the area, Box was mined from Roman times and grown ever since. Mining stopped all together circa 1970.

Nowadays, the mine is a bat preservation area and only visited by cavers and explorers. The mine also holds a treasure in it’s crown. An area taken over by the MOD in the early 20th Century was used as a giant air intake for the underground top secret cold war complex next door….Burlington. But that’s a story for another day ;-)

At the centre of Box is an area known simply as Cathedral. Nothing anyone tells you about it can ever actually prepare you for the sheer size. Trying to get its size in to perspective can really only be achieved by having a fellow member of your group standing underneath the surface opening.

The Northern section of Box Mine has several wooden cranes, some still in fantastic condition, other falling to pieces. The Southern section is the only part of Box we haven’t explored yet, I’m sure it wont be undone for long.