19&20 Sheds, Monkton Farleigh September 2010

A short car journey from Farleigh Down Sidings (up and over the hill) are 19 and 20 Sheds, which are some of the only remaining surface buildings remaining of District 19 and District 20. The Monkton Farleigh complex was divided into districts, with each sub-surface area being supplied from a Shed where a slope shaft led down into the tunnels below. There are some really interesting remains here, though the slope shafts are sealed up.

19 Shed (I think)






Inside 19 shed is the remains of a building inside the building, which we thought looked like a mess room. Someone else might know differently though





On to 20 Shed, where there are the remains of a winch system which obviously pulled something (probably wagons) up the slope shaft.




There are also a number of interesting buildings around these two sheds.
Firstly, the Vickers machine gun pillbox



Then, the remains of the aerial ropeway near 20 Shed


Also, the old boiler house for 19& 20 Districts which is now in private ownership

And finally the remains of an air raid shelter, with a blast wall, loop hole and amusing signage inside.




A really interesting explore - so thanks to Fluffy for being guide
GDZ

godzilla73 said:

And finally the remains of an air raid shelter, with a blast wall, loop hole and amusing signage inside.

GDZ

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Did you miss the vintage graffiti in there?

Yes!! We did see this - but I thought you might censor me!

Nice to see these old buildings again,I would have thought the building inside a building was more likely to have been an office or possibly a basic guardroom for the detection of people taking contraband underground.The boiler house lies pretty well directly above the main underground plant room with its Ruston Hornsby engine and provided steam for the air conditioning plant for the whole quarry.Quite a few years ago Nick Mcamley restored the engine and at one point I was on the surface when he fired it up,the ground shook and the exhaust billowed out of a small shaft behind the boiler house.Did you get any pictures of main east or the S.E.entrance?

The Strategic Steam Reserve!!!!
Nice find, Don't you love it when military stuff keeps popping up the more you dig?
Nice find sir!

Nice piccies Godzy !! The only thing i can add is that i find it amazing that when i'm wandering around with a camera in my hand i just dont notice details.For instance did you notice that in 20 shed this internal wall still carries its original camoflague paint job and possibly a makers inscription on the right hand side.?

Now this also begs the question,was 20 shed extended during or after the war years 'cos you wouldn't apply camo paint to an internal wall---would you !!
ALSO : OLDSCROTE if youre reading this can you point me in the right direction for any other surface structures connected with MF in the vicinity !!
PS On Google Earth,in the middle of a field to the south of Farleigh down sidings are what look like two concrete bases ? Do you think these could be support plinths for the Aeriel ropeway ?

Now that I didn't see at all - isn't it amazing, we must have spent more than 20 minutes in that shed and I didn't see the camo paint. I assume it was extended at some point. Old Scrote sounds like he might be able to oblige....

main west as well as 19 and 20 sheds all had camo nets drapped over them, the post are still there that would of held the nets up

as for main east, it keeps getting broke in to or attempts have been made over the last year so best to keep away from it, its a live exit and u dont want the hastle

as for main S.E.entrance, its been unblocked, cleaned up and a new door put in and is used as another emrgency exit

once thing u dont see any more is the old bridge that use to go accross the road near 19 air shaft and house, they carried the pipes from the boiler house in to the underground down the air shaft, the base's are still there though

last i heard, 19 had all new electrics and lights sorted out, a lad i know asked the mines manager if he could have some of the old light fittings from down there, which they let him have

Isn't there a picture of that bridge on Nick McCamley's site?

godzilla73 said:

Isn't there a picture of that bridge on Nick McCamley's site?

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i cant remember where i saw a pic, it could of been on his site, it was also marked on a map i once saw

hopefully one day we will be allowed to publish our reports we did with darkplaces

Drain cock at lavatory door Haha, nice set of pics.

Well this has thrown up some interesting Questions.Firstly the camo paint,Tommo is right about the camo nets and poles but the picture does seem to show an extension as there otherwise would be no reason for the window high on the left hand side to exist but I believe the buildings were originally painted green and what we are seeing here is the effects of 60 years of rust.
Fluffy your query regarding the aerial rope way bases yup that's them they are 4 to a base and are each about 4ft square how deep there foundations are i don't know.In that field there are 2sets,there is also an another one to the left of the road between main east and main west hidden now in undergrowth but once in my front garden Other bits to look for include the reservoirs for fire fighting and just beyond 20 building thro the gate are a set of three truck refuges with high earth banks.Just by 19 building and running under the road is a short tunnel that used connect 19 to the aerial rope way shed whether its still accessible i don't know.
Regarding the pipe bridge there used to be one on the road farm the village up to farleigh rise that carried pipes under the road the wall can still be seen just before the main entrance to the boiler house complex.

Faing said:

Drain cock at lavatory door Haha, nice set of pics.

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OH !!!! I GETTIT NOW !!!!
HEE-HEE !!

Many thanks Oldscrote (and you too Tommo) for the Gen !! BUT i dont think that's rust on the corrugated tin,i'm sure its good ol' camo brown !!!

I mentioned earlier about the Ruston Hornsby restoration.This link is a short film of it working.[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpOTj7i-mPQ[/nomedia]

Its a bit murky but back then I guess home video footage was somewhat in it's infancy

oldscrote said:

I mentioned earlier about the Ruston Hornsby restoration.This link is a short film of it working.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpOTj7i-mPQ

Its a bit murky but back then I guess home video footage was somewhat in it's infancy

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this one

yup thats the one,sorry should have been more precise.the engine unforunately is once again a wreck having been trashed by the new age travellers who squatted thd site in the late 80s.

oldscrote said:

yup thats the one,sorry should have been more precise.the engine unforunately is once again a wreck having been trashed by the new age travellers who squatted thd site in the late 80s.

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Last time I was in there, in the late '80s, it was an absolute wreck.

Here is one of the only pics I still have from that time:


Maybe it'll be of interest to someone.

mark its a shame so many got water damaged, i bet u would of had some great pics to show

tommo said:

mark its a shame so many got water damaged, i bet u would of had some great pics to show

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Yes! Those would be good to see spungletrumpet!!