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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry BGS photos West Wells Masonry works #Pod_4 Stage {1},{2} varying thickness and smoothness of stone This is beneath the larger overhead travelling crane ie where the quarry blocks were worked on docs.google.com/document/d/1...

BGS photo - showing annotations
#1 Quarry blocks (brown) scappled at the quarry;
#2 Scants (yellowy-brown) with two smooth opposite faces;
#3 and rectangular blocks (pink) with all smooth faces

[2] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=113748

original BGS photo without annotations

[2] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=113748

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry BGS photos West Wells Masonry works #Pod_3 Stage {2}[2 - Twin saw] creating rectangular stone blocks with no rough faces using twin bladed circular saws [12][14][21][24][53] docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Bath & Portland Stone Firms - West Wells Masonry Works

Stage #2 processing scants to create rectangular blocks with no rough faces
[12] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=113977

Bath & Portland Stone Firms - West Wells Masonry Works

Stage #2 processing scants to create rectangular blocks with no rough faces
[14] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=113987

Bath & Portland Stone Firms - West Wells Masonry Works
Stage #2 processing scants to create rectangular blocks with no rough faces
[21] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114017

Bath & Portland Stone Firms - West Wells Masonry Works

Stage #2 processing scants to create rectangular blocks with no rough faces

[25] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114033

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry BGS photos West Wells Masonry works #Pod_2a Stage {1} [1 - Slabbing saw] The first stage #1 creating scants with a computer controlled slabbing saw [31][32][33][34] docs.google.com/document/d/1...

computer controlled slabbing saw

[31] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114056

Computer controlled slabbing saw

[32] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114060

Computer controlled slabbing saw

[33] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114063

Computer controlled slabbing saw

[34] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114068

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry BGS photos West Wells Masonry works #Pod_2 creating scants of a required thickness using a single bladed circular saw Stage {1} [1 - Slabbing saw] docs.google.com/document/d/1...

[18] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114004

[23] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114023

[26] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/actionviewAsset?id=114038

[54] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114380

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry BGS photos West Wells Masonry works The large overhead travelliing crane Stage {1}, {2} This area covers the first two phases of the processing the blocks from the quarry docs.google.com/document/d/1...

The larger overhead travelling crane

[36] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114076

36] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114076

Advert 1955 for a similar John Smith (Keighley) overhead travelling crane

The foundry Trade Journal 1955 - sim_foundry-trade-journal_1955-04-28_98_2017 https://ia804506.us.archive.org/33/items/sim_foundry-trade-journal_1955-04-28_98_2017/sim_foundry-trade-journal_1955-04-28_98_2017.pdf

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGS #Westwells #stonemasonry BGS photos West Wells Masonry works Within the BGS photos are an awesome collection of photos of the Bath & Portland's Masonry Works at West Wells, in Corsham. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

his map 1892-1915 shows the west wells quarry before the masonry works. Note the nearby spring quarry and sands quarry

Kinnock's or Westwells or Moor Park quarry location shown by the blue placemark using the MCRA location data which marks the west wells slope shaft on a NLS old map 1892-1915
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.9&lat=51.41844&lon=-2.20976&layers=168&b=osm&o=99&marker=51.417890,-2.209690

DBS p310-312 i.e. section 8.9.14
#1 Kinnock’s quarry 1900 -> Westwells quarry -> Moor park quarry 1907

The location of the masonry works - or stone works. Much of the NLS 1944-1974 map is fictional but the outline of the masonry works buildings are shown . Westwalls quarry slope shaft would directly feed into the masonry works

The MCRA location of the slope shaft is the blue placemark on an NLS old map 1944-74 which clarly shows the stone works
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.9&lat=51.41839&lon=-2.21017&layers=173&b=osm&o=99&marker=51.417890,-2.209690

Bath & Portland Masonry works

at West Wells - 70 men
and Bottomcombe ~200 men
Kenneth Hudson, 'Fashionable stone' p75

Norman Bezzant's description of the stone working process and machines used in different phases was used to classify the photos.

#1 But then I noticed the large overhead travelling crane was useful in identifying the initial stages 1 & 2
#2 And the smaller overhead travelling crane identified where the masons worked, ie stages 3 & 4

my notes on these few pages makes it easy to see where the classification comes from
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BvJo-vIls-tWyB48lV_fh7My0B9861MtHEnXQlwoAq8/edit?usp=sharing

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum Bath & Portland Stone Firms Ltd. donated a load of Bath stone Quarry related photos to the BGS. bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bg... This post shows the creation of slabs from stone blocks from the quarry. The slabs were a constant job-specific thickness but had rough edges

#1 slabbing - creating stone blocks with rough edges of a requried thickness

[18] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114004

#1 creating slabs - rough edged stone blocks of a required thickness

[23] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114023

#1 creating slabs - stone blocks with rough edges but constant thickness

[26] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/actionviewAsset?id=114038

#1 creating slabs - rough edged stone blocks of a constant thickness

[54] https://bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bgs/action/viewAsset?id=114380

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGSGeoScenic Monks park crane - designed by John Lister-Kaye from Bath & Portland

Monks park crane lifting a stone block

[17] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114197&index=16&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

[35] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114270&index=34&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

[36] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114271&index=35&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

Another view of the lister-kaye designed crane [22] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114216&index=21&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGSGeoScenic Monks park Quarry and Greenbat the electric loco #1 www.sglr.co.uk/greenbat #2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwo... #3 www.gracesguide.co.uk/Greenwood_an...

Greenbat (the electric loco)
#1 https://www.sglr.co.uk/greenbat
#2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_%26_Batley
#3 https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Greenwood_and_Batley:_Locomotives

[32] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114255&index=31&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

[33] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114260&index=32&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

[34] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114265&index=33&total=48&view=viewSearchItem
Working on Bath Stone near Corsham Wiltshire. Underground haulage lifting blocks with claw hooks.
Folly Books - Stone loading at Monk's Park. This is one of the earliest photos showing the Bath & Portland Company's Greenwood & Batley electric locomotive underground.

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum #BGSGeoScenic The Stothert & Pitt stacking yard crane in use Crane 57 - but in fixed position rather than mounted on a rail wagon? www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/crane-57.html

Ruston and stone crane outside clift quarry

[39] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114283&index=38&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

[40] Stone Block lifted from Quarry Trolley outside Clift Quarry https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114289&index=39&total=48&modal=true&view=viewSearchItem

The crane is not mounted on a wagon!
[42] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114296&index=41&total=48&view=viewSearchItem

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Reposted by @dave-the-cave.bsky.social

dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

The Race to the south - intense competition in 1867. This map shows the SMCC survey for Farleigh Down Quarry coloured according to the passages appearing in the plans given in four leases of 1867 given by the Bishop of Sarum to the quarry masters docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

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dave-the-cave.bsky.social @dave-the-cave.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

#BathStoneQuarryForum The underground quarries in the SMCC survey span two different counties and parishes. This resulted in two different jurisdictions overseeing or owning the mineral rights to the quarries. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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