The old Farleigh Down Quarry workings in Wiltshire have been the target of some serious vandalism recently, and also some controversy over what to do about it. It is therefore heartening to see members of the Devon and Cornwall Mine Explorers’ Group make the effort to restore one of the vandalised features: a square well. On a recent visit, members were so disgusted by the damage that they decided to return another day to restore the well.

The walls of the wide pit had been spray painted, and a large number of rocks had been tossed into it. The well was bailed out, the rocks broken up and removed, and the paint scrubbed off. A short video of the working session has been published showing the work in progress.

It is good to see a coordinated effort being made to improve the mess in this quarry. Others have also done their part, and all those who appreciate these places for their history and industrial archaeology are grateful for the work done by everyone. Let’s hope this is an encouragement to others to do their bit as well.

Dan Snaith, chairman of Devon and Cornwall Mine Explorers’ Group, said “We shall return if we are wanted to complete some more work, as we are primarily based in Devon and Cornwall, and we mainly focus on our area. But seeing the state of the square well a few weeks ago on a previous visit, we decided to do something about it. We have local contacts so they will keep us informed of its progress.”

Thank you to Dan Snaith for providing this report.