description: A fairly small, single adit entrance Bath stone quarry, it's now used as a mushroom farm, it all spent some time as a Royal Naval storage depot.
Thanks to UExUK James for providing us with this photo of the quarry.
photos: no
history:
Bethel Quarry started it’s life in the hands of the Bath and Portland Stone Company but when quarrying finished it was put to a new use by the Agaric Mushroom company as a mushroom farm. With it’s constant temperature and dark conditions it is the perfect location for mushroom growth. The quarry is fairly small with one single adit entrance which is on a slight incline as the quarry is on a gradient and the floor level gradually increases throughout.
In 1939 the War Department requisitioned the quarry, carried out some strengthening work and used the quarry to store naval anti-aircraft parts, radio direction finding equipment and optical equipment during the Second World War.
After the war the quarry was handed back to the mushroom company, this was because the roof level was to low in places making it unsuitable for military use plus near-by Copenacre Quarry was big enough for the Royal Navy’s storage needs by this time.
The quarry was soon put back to use as a mushroom farm. Mushrooms are still produced here today on a large scale under the new name of Oakfield Farm Products Ltd.
web links: Oakfield Farm Products Ltd - now own they quarry and opperate it as a mushroom farm (external link)
