Kingsdown Quarry or Swan Mine is located opposite The Swan public house at the top of the hill out of Bathford. The pub is supposedly anchored to the hillside via chains passing under the road into the quarry.
The quarry rises uphill from the entance and tramways were never employed here – the stone was carried away by horse drawn wagons or carts, it was the last working quarry to do this. The main parts of the quarry were worked by up to three different quarrymasters at the same time, they all shared the main haul road in and out of the quarry.
From 1886 George Wilbraham Northey, Esq leased a part to Richard Joseph Marsh and Company Ltd, in December 1887 this was taken over by the Bath Stone Firms Ltd. Marsh then formed a new company named Marsh, Son and Gibbs Ltd, who worked another part of Kingsdown Quarry, and their business was bought by the Bath Stone Firms Ltd in 1909.
A Box quarryman named George Butt also worked part of Kingsdown Quarry, after his death the business continued under the style of George Butt and Sons until 1932. The last newcomer to dig stone in Kingsdown Quarry was A W Angell of Bathford from 1921 to 1926. The total area of the quarry today is 116,000 sq. ft.
Two quarrymen are known to have died whilst removing a crane in the quarry causing a roof collapse – the remains of the broken crane can be seen to today. There are many interesting artifacts remaining in the quarry and hoof prints can still be found in the solidified mud floor.