Box Hill Quarries, Surrey, '12

The Archivist · Jul 23, 2012

The huge chalk bulk of Box Hill outcrops above the Surrey villages of Brockham and Betchworth, forming the huge tree-covered bulk of Box Hill. The chalk has long been worked for making agricultural lime and cement and deeper down are seams of hearthstone, a white sandstone which was sold as a domestic agent for whitening stone hearths, doorsteps and window sills. Upper greensand and Gault clay sit below this and have been used to provide high-quality building sands and white bricks. Some of these deposits have been worked for almost as long as humans have inhabited this area, but the most intensive exploitation of the hill for its minerals began in the 19th century when two neighbouring quarries came to dominate the landscape, leaving huge white scars which could be seen from over twenty miles away.

Brockham Lime Works
The Brockham Limeworks grew up in the first half of the nineteenth century and by 1866 were being run by Messrs Elsdon, Swan and Day. To the south of the limeworks a brickworks, the Crabtree Brickfield was at this time operated by Messrs. Batchelor and Fenton. In 1867 a standard-gauge siding from the Reigate-Reading railway line was constructed to serve the limeworks and from this time onwards wagons were brought to and from the main line by a 20 h.p. stationary steam engine which stood in front of the eastern battery of kilns. A narrow gauge tramway worked by horses served the quarry workings and kilns.

In 1873 Batchelor and Fenton's business diversified to include the exploitation of the hearthstone deposits on site, re-naming itself the Brockham Brick, Stone & Coal Co. Ltd, shortened the next year to the Brockham Brick Co. Ltd. Around 1881 the Brockham Brick Co. also took over the running of the limeworks and the railway and tramway system was expanded to link the works together.

By 1910, the brickworks had become unprofitable and was closed the following year; the Brockham Brick Company was wound up and the newly-formed Brockham Lime and Hearthstone Co. Ltd. took over the remaining quarrying operations. By 1925, the hearthstone business had also began to decline and working ceased in March of that year after a pay-off from the owners of two rival hearthstone mines. The limeworks continued to operate until 1936, when the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dorking Greystone Lime Co.

In 1961, the Narrow Gauge Society secured a lease on the old limeworks with its extensive system of tramways and the next year opened the Brockham Narrow Gauge Museum. The museum was a popular attraction for many years, but in 1984 complications with the site forced it to close, its collection being relocated to Amberley in Sussex. The site is now managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust on a 50 year lease from Surrey County Council, which bought it in 1977.

The trackbed of the standard gauge siding, earthworks of the demolished brickworks on right.

Smaller engine shed as converted for museum use

Larger engine/display shed almost lost in vegetation.

Inside the shed

Rails embedded in the floor, possibly for a static display

Groovy 1960s-type office chair

Remains of the western battery

Eastern kiln battery

Flare kiln

Bishop's patent kiln

Hearthstone shaft

In a few days time, the quarry and hilltop will be closed off to make way for hundreds of lycra-clad weirdos and associated cash-in opportunities.... sorry.... Olympic cyclists and spectators in the road races.

Quarry area

Unidentified tunnel in the quarry floor, possibly a lost entrance to the mines.

Dorking Greystone Lime Works
The Dorking Greystone Lime Co. Ltd. was founded at Betchworth in 1865 by Eustace and Charles Townsend Hook of Snodland paperworks, Kent. The works were managed by William Finlay who installed the first continuous Hoffman kilns there in 1866. In 1867 six conical flare kilns were installed, forming the southern kiln battery, joined later by another six kilns forming an eastern battery. In 1887-1897 the southern battery was partly replaced by two pairs of Dietzsch kilns, followed by a new crushing and hydrator plant immediately to the east. Finally, around 1900 a large Smidth-type kiln was built to the north of the works yard, completing the development of kilns at the site. This was was abandoned during construction however, and was never fired.

The works were linked to the main line at Betchworth Station by a standard-gauge railway and three separate narrow gauge tramways linked the quarry with the kilns and processing plant.

Until 1945, lump hearthstone was quarried underground at the site with the main entrance to the mine being behind the east kiln battery. After this, the tunnels were sealed and only surface seams were quarried until 1950 when working ceased altogether. Dorking Greystone Lime ceased trading at the end of 1959 and the works became the property of the Dorking Lime Co, under whom lime burning continued until the 1970s. From c.1980 the land was used for landfill: the quarries were filled with millions of tons of household rubbish and the works area became a waste transfer station. Today the quarry area is a nature reserve and the works have become a vehicle depot.