What will happen to 'ugly' mine shaft left in middle of estate?

The MoD’s Copenacre site, on the side of the A4 at Corsham, closed in the late 90s after decades as a storage site equipped with offices and testing facilities.

In the decade that followed some military operations continued before the facility was demolished and replaced with a new housing estate several years ago.

But the last remnant of the Royal Naval Store Depot can still be seen by passers-by on the A4.

A striking, graffiti-covered mine shaft, which many have labelled an “eyesore”, sits between the new homes.

While the entrance has now been secured, the quarry’s current operators Bath Stone Group says there are no plans to remove it.

The inclined mine shaft was originally built after the Royal Navy acquired the site in 1940 and a goods lift was installed.

It led to the underground quarry which, for many years, was used by the navy to house underwater SONAR equipment.

This entrance was heavily reinforced against bombing raids to protect the storage space and electrical test operations.

The shaft would later be used as an emergency exit by subsequent operators of the Hartham Park mine, which sits underneath the land, before being sealed.