Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 1580813
Hob Uid: 1580813
Location : Wiltshire Corsham
Grid Ref : ST8823067612
Summary : The surface features of the Second World War Eastlays Quarry ammunitinon depot, south-west of Chapel Knapp can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 1945. The surface features consisted of numerous buildings including probable accommodation at the northern end. The southern and western side of the site are occupied by large spoil heaps created when the original post medieval Monks Quarry was cleared of waste during the sites conversion in the late 1930s. The spoil heaps to the west had a number of structures built upon them including pillboxes, a possible gun emplacement and a trench. The site was further defended by a pillbox with a wide arc of barbed wire on its eastern side at the north-eastern end of the site. A road was built linking the site to Goodes Hill road and to the north-west along the line of a former tramway to Ridge quarry. The site was mothballed in 1962 and sold in 1972. Air photos taken in 2009 show the site redeveloped and many of the wartime structures demolished, though the tree cover on the spoil heaps may hide some buildings and one building may in part be military in origin. The pillbox to the north east survives as does concrete structures surrounded by an earthwork. This arrangement of concrete and earthwork is reminiscent of some of the shafts seen in a camp further north (EH monument record 1579900) though no shaft is marked on the Ordnance Survey map.
More information : The surface features of the Second World War Eastlays Quarry ammunitinon depot can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 1945. This site is situated to the south-west of Chapel Knapp at ST 8812 6757. The surface features consisted of numerous buildings including probable accommodation at the northern end (ST 8815 6773). The southern and western side of the site are occupied by large spoil heaps created when the original post medieval Monks Quarry was cleared of waste during the sites conversion in the late 1930s. The spoil heaps to the west had a number of structures built upon them including pillboxes at ST 8790 6763 and ST 8793 6744; a possible gun emplacement at ST 8755 6754 and a trench at ST 8794 6746. The site was further defended by a pillbox with a wide arc of barbed wire on its eastern side at the north-eastern end of the site at ST 8826 6767. A road was built linking the site to Goodes Hill road and to the north-west along the line of a former tramway to Ridge quarry. The site was mothballed in 1962 and sold in 1972. Air photos taken in 2009 show the site redeveloped and many of the wartime structures demolished, though the tree cover on the spoil heaps may hide some buildings and a building at ST 8821 6763 may in part be military in origin. The pillbox to the north east survives as does concrete structures surrounded by an earthwork at ST 8819 672. This arrangement of concrete and earthwork is reminiscent of some of the shafts seen in a camp further north (EH monument record 1579900) though no shaft is marked on the Ordnance Survey map.(1-3)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : RAF/106G/UK/376 4069 13-JUN-1945
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Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : Next Perspectives PGA Imagery ST8767 ST8867 23-MAY-2009
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Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details : NJ McCamley
Page(s) : 103-115; 141
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Post Medieval
Monument End Date : 1901
Monument Start Date : 1540
Monument Type : Quarry
Evidence : Earthwork

Monument Period Name : Second World War
Display Date : Second World War
Monument End Date : 1945
Monument Start Date : 1939
Monument Type : Ammunition Dump, Pillbox, Spoil Heap
Evidence : Structure, Demolished Structure, Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : ST 86 NE 120
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 2013-01-01
End Date : 2015-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 1580813