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dave-the-cave.bsky.social
@dave-the-cave.bsky.social
16 followers 38 following 18 posts
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dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
November 23, 2025 at 5:14 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
November 23, 2025 at 4:20 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
November 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
November 23, 2025 at 2:38 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
November 23, 2025 at 1:42 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
November 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
September 21, 2025 at 11:30 AM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#BathStoneQuarryForum
#BGSGeoScenic

Sawyers
Using a Razzer (a knackered Frig Bob) to start off the cut at the top [4] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114146&index=3&total=48&view=viewSearchItem The quarryman has a frig bob, a carbide lamp, a bucket of water for lubricating the sawing. [7] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114159&index=6&total=48&view=viewSearchItem The quarryman is holding a saw handle, with an air pick - probably he had stitch drilled before sawing [8] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114164&index=7&total=48&view=viewSearchItem Two quarrymen, both using figbobs, a razzer is in the background, an air pick, a pick, and two carbide lamps [9] https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114168&index=8&total=48&view=viewSearchItem
March 26, 2025 at 6:36 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#BathStoneQuarryForum
#BGSGeoScenic

Making a chog hole for a post crane
[1] Making a chog hole - with a small jadding pick? a carbide lamp, air pick are also visible https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114135&index=0&total=48&view=viewSearchItem [2] Making a chog hole https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114139&index=1&total=48&view=viewSearchItem [10] Making a chog hole with a small jadding pick?https://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=114172&index=9&total=48&view=viewSearchItem
March 26, 2025 at 5:53 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
March 26, 2025 at 5:43 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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.
March 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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
March 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
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...
January 21, 2025 at 7:55 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
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...
January 21, 2025 at 7:55 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#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...
January 21, 2025 at 5:27 PM
dave-the-cave.bsky.social
#BathStoneQuarryForum
January 21, 2025 at 11:34 AM