Limestone Quarry, Beer, Devon

This abandoned quarry was originally called the New Quarry and began its life sometime before 1883, when work in the Old Quarry - now a tourist attraction called the Beer Quarry Caves* - gradually began to be phased out. The Old Quarry dates back to the Romans, sometime after AD 47 when the end of the Fosse Way was completed at Axmouth, and was exclusively underground. The new one, however, not only shows evidence of underground workings, but also later outside excavations together with the relatively more recent buildings such as workshops, stores, site office and loading sheds.

*Information about the Beer Quarry Caves can be found here.

Now known simply as Beer Quarry, these workings are on the north side of the road and separate from the original Old Quarry, in its later years worked by Hanson Aggregates until being completely abandoned. I explored it at the end of a lovely sunny day in late September 2008, along with a friend who was visiting on holiday.
 

Above is the rock face, at first glance looking like a fort. The entrance, below, followed by interior photos.  

We weren't able to get very far in. My friend ventured over a pile of debris to see how much of the caves there were but he had to give up too, as it was pretty much blocked.

 Next up were two large loading sheds.

Just behind those was an amazing workshop, complete with several pieces of machinery, lifting gear and various tools inside.
 

This cute little metal barrow was just outside.

  Interior photos below.

This was such fascinating place with the gantry lifts, workbenches and various tools. I loved the wrench and steel rule hanging on nails roughly hammered into a wall batten, plus what looks like a grinder, below.

Fab window covered with ivy.

As befits coastal Devon, I've often found a boat on explores in the most incongruous of places, including here in the workshop. I even found one on a WW2 airfield just over the border into Somerset...coming up in a future post.

And, inside an extremely dark storeroom leading off from the workshop, this funky little grinder machine....

 ...and a fabulous stack of old toolbox drawers.
 

  Outside again, to the mobile Site Office and weighbridge.

Welcome to Beer Quarry! We appreciated the greeting on the board inside the office, lol. What's often amazed me is the amount of paperwork and other things that are sometimes left when places are abandoned. It looks as if they just went out for a lunch break and are about to return back to work again. 

We had a walk further onto the site to find the outside excavations, seen below.

Ending up on top of the underground excavations, the final photo is the view looking down above the workshop and loading sheds.