Farleigh Down Tunnel, Batheaston, Wiltshire :: August 2010

As part of a long day in Wiltshire we thought we’d pop to Farleigh Down Tunnel. The tunnel was linked to the Monkton Farleigh Central Ammunition Depot approximately 1 mile away. Ammunition would be brought to the railway sidings, loaded in to carts and sorted in the yard below ground.

The shells would then work their way on a mile-long conveyor belt, up the hillside to the CAD in Monkton Farleigh. Sadly, now-a-days the tunnel is back-filled with all sorts of junk piled up against a metal-plated brick wall.

The walk along the tunnel is interesting nonetheless. Tiring and really quite demanding on ones stamina, a sense of achievement was definitely felt by getting to the end!

Full history and additional photos can be found on Subterranea Britannica