Box Mines - Wiltshire

Box mines

Date:11-10-2020

Location ; Wiltshire

The Explore :

Box mines are well-known and very popular. When we visited in October, there were many other visitors—about 10 to 15 groups. We started the day at FDQ to finish exploring that mine before heading to the box. Getting into the box was simple, just some very tight gaps. Once inside, we headed straight to the cathedral, which took us about 3 hours to reach. 

We encountered many other explorers along the way. Once at the cathedral, I was stunned by how amazing it looked, especially with a little daylight coming through. We took our photos and then headed back out the way we came in. Getting back to the entrance seemed a lot quicker than getting in. However, when we emerged, we were greeted by bat survey people who informed us that the police were waiting for people to exit the mines. 

As we walked back, we met the police who explained that half the tunnels were owned by the MOD and the other half by caving enthusiasts who wanted to block off unauthorized access. The officer shared that some people had set off alarms at the red door. We happened to be the unlucky group that came out before the others who were still inside the tunnels. A friend who lives nearby informed us that as of 2021, all entrance points have been closed off, presumably to protect the bats.

 It's interesting to note that most of the houses around the Barth area were constructed with limestone extracted from the mines, which helped the military during World War II. Additionally, the mines are part of a consistent tunnel network that was started during the Roman occupation.