As mentioned earlier, these QUARRIES are underground workings for building stone (think the crescent in Bath, the houses of parliament, etc.).
The latin route of the word is similar to quater, quadrangle, quad, etc.
A quarry is a working for a "dimension stone" - cut block work etc.
A mine is for mineral (note the similarity in the word)
Other stuff is got from pits, like sand and gravel...
In a nutshell that is the diference, at least how I think of it, as I have read it in previous posts by better people qualified than I, in places other than this forum - I do pay a little attention Peter!
ANYWAY, some more info about the Freestone Quarries can be found at
http://www.nettleden.com/. This site reveals past and present history - some of the quaries are still in production, others are in use by the military, and a few can be explored. The local explorers tend to hang out at another forum which for various reasons has had "issues" with this site. They can be found at
http://www.darkp laces.co.uk/phpBB2/portal.php but remove the space between "darkp" and "laces" or this link wont work. Surveys can bought from the Quarrymens Arms in Box Hill for ?6 a sheet, 3 for Box, one for Swan and one for Browns. I would suggest if visiting Box, go with someone with local knowledge for a first visit, and treat it as an orienteering exercise - it can be VERY confusing...
I shall be visiting this area again before Christmas to see relatives in the area if you wished to meet up for a wander?