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Trial shaft? Park lane corsham

Markie87

Markie87

New member
I found a small square shaped shaft with an old rusty ladder attached to one side which looks like it might lead into something bigger. Its in a little wood on park lane in corsham across the road from allen road. If anyone has any info on what this shaft is it would be much appreciated
 
Interesting.  I do not know of a shaft there as it across the road from the Hudswell Quarry shafts.  Do you mean this bit of woodland?  The 25 inch map shows nothing there - https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=51.4275&lon=-2.2119&layers=ESRIWorld&right=168

There are certainly trial shafts in the area and of course, a large significant underground set of workings from Seven Shafts, Tunnel and Spring Quarries, later mostly converted into the nuclear bunker of Burlington ... but this one intrigues me.

Can you let me know what you find as I will need to add it to the MCRA Cave Registry.
 

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yep that's the wood. it's directly across the road from the two hudswell lift shafts. also the whole area around this tiny wood is a massive housing development which makes me think if there was nothing down there they would have cleared the few trees so they could build on it. i will go down there today. i would have done yesterday but had miles to walk and didn't want to walk completely soaked haha
 
We wait with bated breath [ quite envious really]  theirs something exiting about finding a hithetoo  unknown ? man made  underground workings :)
 
Noting the new housing developments in the area, I have done a quick search on the planning portal and turned up the mining risk assessment which notes two an air shaft in the vicinity, but nothing in the wood you describe. See https://unidoc.wiltshire.gov.uk/UniDoc/Document/File/MTUvMTA1MTkvT1VULDY2NDIxMQ==

The preliminary ecological appraisal however notes:
5.8 Manmade Structures
Two drainage holes are located within the small area of  broadleaved woodland at the eastern edge of the site.
They are uncovered and are approximately 5m deep.
They do not lead to any underground structures and are not suitable for bats.
Click to expand...

Full report here:https://unidoc.wiltshire.gov.uk/UniDoc/Document/File/MTUvMTA1MTkvT1VULDY2NDE5NA==



 
If the hole i found was just for drainage i dont get why there would be any point in it having a ladder. Also there is a rope tied to a tree dangling into it where someone has gone in to have a look at some point. I will go and have a proper look when i get the chance, probably thursday  ;)
 
They may just have measured them & not actually descended, depends who was doing the survey. But they are talking about the same wood.

Mike
 
Markie87 said:
If the hole i found was just for drainage i dont get why there would be any point in it having a ladder. Also there is a rope tied to a tree dangling into it where someone has gone in to have a look at some point. I will go and have a proper look when i get the chance, probably thursday  ;)
Click to expand...

Certainly have a look and report back, however with something like this I would be very surprised if an ecologist said that there are no underground features suitable for bat's if they didn't check. Since bat's are legally protected, an ecologist could loose their licence if they make an unsupported claim that leaf to harm to a bat.

They would also have been able to charge some decent fees for a confined spaces entry and survey and there would be no way the developer could dispute the fees.

Regarding the ladder, manhole chambers over a certain depth require ladders, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

If you are going back, it would be worth having a look around, as the report noted two 5m deep man-made features.
 
Went and had a look a few days ago, probably only just big enough to accomodate a person, full of water and no ladder.
 
Maybe so but if thats the case they have been covered over.

OP stated he only found one and I can confirm after walking around the copse for 20 mins theres definitely only one hole; brick lined, top is about 3 feet across, hole is about 2 foot across full of water and sans ladder.  Covered with one of those crappy square plastic manhole covers.

Interestingly, on the exact co-ordinates that the MCRA published is what looks like a badger set.  The hole I found is somewhat closer to the road.

 
A northern extension to the Tunnel Quarry bunker runs close to that location, according to this site
https://www.higgypop.com/news/beneath-corsham/
 
That would suggest they were originally ventilation shafts:
http://www.monkton-farleigh.co.uk/sc_tunnelquarry42.htm

Markie87 hasn't logged in again since the Thursday he suggested he was going to take a proper look...
 
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