A History of the Byfield Mine
by Professor Dick Irving
Dick Irving writes “Tucked away in a quiet corner of my back garden there is a hole. It is an entrance… to the Combe Down Stone Mines. Bats fly in and out…”
"there is a hole..."
The book covers the development and history Byfield and Firs Mine. The author lives in the former mine managers house and actually discovered a hole in his garden that turns out to be in important portal with a staircase down into the workings which was carved out as a short cut for the Manager and possibly for the workers to gain easy access to the pub. He has been supported by Dr Lynn Willies who has been carry out an archaeological survey of the mines for Oxford University and David Pollard who had previously written papers on these mines. The well written highly informative text is supported by photographs – underground ones by Paul Deakin – and a number of plans, historical maps and records. In all a valuable piece of research into this important underground stone quarry.
- Published in September 2005
- 88 pages including 8 pages of colour illustrations
- 220 x 150mm, paperback, colour cover, ISBN 0-9550655-0-X
Available, price £9.95 + postage
