The article below, written by David Pollard the owner of the Hartham Quarry and Director of the Bath Stone Quarry Museum Trust, is drawn from the records of the Stone Mine Quarries and it answers many of our questions. Our thanks to Mr Pollard for allowing us to publish this article.
In September 1915 the Great War was in its second year, the output of munitions was growing, and the need for suitable places to store munitions became pressing. In September the War Office negotiated with the Bath and Portland Stone Firms to use Ridge Monks Park Quarry for the storage of munitions, it is assumed that the initiative came from the War Office, in the following fortnight Capt. Fell from the War Office, and Capt. Carey a mining engineer accompanied by Isaac Sumsion (Chairman) and Thomas Sturge Cotterell (Manager) made an inspection of Ridge Quarry, Pictor's Monks Park and the Hartham Park Quarries. This visit was followed by formal notification that the Ridge Quarry had been taken over by the Government for the storage of munitions under the Defence of the Realm Act. Sturge Cotterell also reported that General Savile had instructed him to prepare a section of Pictor's Monks Park Quarry as quickly as possible for the same purpose.
It seems that the practical issues were dealt with first and the legal and financial aspects later, these were still being discussed by the Stone Firms Board in November, the Board then decided, to either, cover the risk and the workmen against accidents and charge the Government, or to get an indemnity from the Government, the latter course was adopted. On the 3rd December 1915 the Company seal was affixed to an Agreement dated 6th September 1915 with the Director General of Explosives Supply on behalf of the Minister of Munitions under which the Company was appointed contractors for adapting and equipping the mines at Corsham for the storage of munitions and for services rendered in connection with the storage.
On the 6th January 1916 the Stone Firms' Directors met General Savile and Colonel Kempster who had returned to Bath after an inspection with Sturge Cotterell of the Ridge and Monks Park Quarries. The officers 'expressed their extreme satisfaction with the equipment of the mines and the way the munitions had been handled and stored'. They asked that Cotterell be authorised under a minute of the Company to act as Superintendent of the Mines and to carry out on the Company's behalf all the obligations of the Agreement, this was done and minuted.
The officers also said it would be of great advantage to them if Cotterell's services could be made available for the purpose of advising in the establishment of magazines in other parts of the country, they asked and the Board gave its consent to allow Cotterell to undertake those duties for the Ministry of Munitions. Cotterell was soon offered the post of Superintendent of Munition Stores under the Ministry of Munitions, he tendered his resignation at the Board meeting of the 28th January 1916 and desired it to take effect from the 31st January, and he went with the best wishes of the Board who gave him £100 by way of adjustment of salary. At this meeting the Stone Firms agreed to relinquish part of the agreement with the Ministry of Munitions whereby the Company provided superintendence, clerical and tally work and travelling expenses
In March 1916 Sturge Cotterell applied to the Military Service Tribunal in respect of his son, Eric W Cotterell, who was described as an assistant superintendent of explosives. The grounds of the claim was that the attested man (Eric W Cotterell) was confidential clerk to his father, one month's certificate was given for medical examination and for the matter to be referred to the Minister of Munitions.
The Store
At Ridge Monks Park Quarry an area of about six acres (2.428 ha) was cleared, which could hold 16,000 tons of TNT and Cordite, the munitions were stacked on raised platforms served by 2 feet gauge (610 mm) Decauville type tramways, the track in the shaft was mixed gauge track it seems that the loads could be transhipped from the tramway trolleys both on the surface or in the quarry.
The Tramway
Munitions came to the Stone Firms wharf at Corsham by train, were unloaded on to trolleys and taken up the tramway to the Ridge and stored in Ridge Monks Park Quarry or taken down the Firms' private tramway from the Ridge to Pictor's Monks Park Quarry or vice versa. A new Agreement between the Stone Firm's and the Ministry of Munitions dated 10th July 1916 for services rendered in the transit of munitions was sealed on the 8th September 1916; meanwhile the No.3 (Ridge) Tramway had been taken over by the War Office from the 16th July 1916 under the Defence of the Realm Act. However the Stone Firms continued to run the tramways as before, the Firms charged 2d/ton for use of the trolleys, the toll on munitions was the same as on stone, i.e. 4d/ton, was payable to Mr G P Fuller of the Neston Park Estate.
All haulage was by the Stone Firms' horses which were hired by the Ministry of Munitions at the rate of 7.5 pence per horse per hour, the Firms asked for 9d but got 8.5d in April 1917, they then asked for 10d and got 9.5d in November 1917, it was difficult to replace horses during the war and the horses were in poor condition by March 1917. In October 1919 the Firms somewhat belatedly claimed payment for the use of the private tramway to Pictor's Monks Park Quarry, they asked for £25, the Ministry of Munitions offered £10 which the Firms declined. Similarly the men employed on munitions got an increase from 7d to 9d an hour.
Runaways
In early March 1916 an accident happened when a load of munitions was being lowered down the Ridge Quarry slope shaft resulting in the death of a horse, Isaac Sumsion and Alfred Taylor held an inquiry on the spot which led to safeguards being adopted to prevent it happening again. Unfortunately there were further incidents, on the 9th January 1917 a trolley loaded with munitions was being lowered down the shaft at Pictor's Monks Park when an iron coupling hook snapped and the trolley broke loose, no one was hurt but two trolleys and some munitions were damaged. A similar event happened at Ridge Quarry on the 13th December 1920, a loaded trolley was being lowered down the shaft when a coupling link broke, the trolley ran away, leapt the points at the bottom and came into violent collision with two trolleys that were being pushed by William Wootton and others towards the shaft to be drawn up. Wootton was killed outright, the Stone Firms noted that they were indemnified by the Government, therefore the Ministry of Munitions bore the responsibility for compensation. Meanwhile Wootton's widow needed help with the funeral expenses, the Board authorised Alfred Taylor to grant her £10 or £15, the compensation from the Government was £300.
After the War
The Great War ended on the 11th November 1918; early in January 1919 Alfred Taylor had an interview with Major Bishop of the Directorate of Lands of the War Office at Corsham regarding the reinstatement of Pictor's Monks Park and Ridge Quarries. At Pictor's Monks munition stocks were running down towards the end of 1920, the War Office then proposed to burn off what was left of the TNT on the top of the surface rubble heaps, however the Stone Firms decided that before anything was done, Alfred Taylor, who was now Managing Director, should consult with Lady Goldney. Digging of stone restarted at Pictor's Monks Quarry in or by 1921. It is assumed that the last munitions were cleared from Ridge Monks Park Quarry in 1921 or 22.
Near the Ridge Quarry one or more huts were put up by the Army on Pond Close Farm, one, allegedly an officers mess, was bought by the Bath and Portland Stone Firms from Mr G Coates shortly before June 1926, newly married George Arlett and his wife moved in, but soon afterwards the bungalow was totally destroyed by fire. The Stone Firms received an insurance pay out of £160, the Arletts who had lost everything were given £5 by the Firms towards replacing their furniture.
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