Foggintor Quarry Building Ruins Dartmoor Devon
by Richard Brookes
Title
Foggintor Quarry Building Ruins Dartmoor Devon
Artist
Richard Brookes
Medium
Photograph
Description
The fascinating and poignant tree-framed ruined granite buildings of the long abandoned and remote Foggintor Quarry near to Princetown in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, SW England, UK. Taken one June. On this perfect but breezy sunny day, clouds resembling cotton wool drifted past and cast patchwork shadows over this beautiful and wild landscape. The ruined buildings are built on one of the massive finger rock dumps or spoil heaps extending off to the left of the shot.
According to online sources:
Once a thriving granite mining community of some 400 people, Foggintor was one of the three great Dartmoor granite quarries. It operated from about 1820 until 1938. Granite mined here was used in Nelson's Column, London Bridge and the infamous Dartmoor Prison at nearby Princetown. Dartmoor prison was initially built to re house prisoners of war from old ship hulks due to their appalling conditions and a possible security threat, the hulks being near to Plymouth Royal Naval docks (now Devonport). The POWs came from the Napoleonic Wars, the first arrivals from 1809 and later American prisoners of war from from the War of 1812. Its population reached 6,000 at one stage. Most prisoners were repatriated in 1815. The prison lay empty until rebuilt and reopened in 1851 as a convict gaol. Some of the quarry's associated ruined buildings, foundations and old railway track beds can still be seen on the moor.
Uploaded
April 2nd, 2023
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