Buy from ebayLimekilns of the North Pennines
Alistair Robertson
By Alistair Robertson, a noted local historian and author of many books. This book charts the development of lime kilns, and includes full colour photographs and information behind many limekilns in the North Pennines.'The Lime Industry has been aptly termed the "Cinderella" of the Chemical Industries. Compared with others of equal importance it has been neglected by technical writers and investigators, and manufacturers have been content to use antiquated and inefficient methods of manufacture without any serious attempt at their improvement". (N.V.S. Knibbs; Lime and Magnesia; 1924)
The limekilns of the North Pennines are typical of those found anywhere in the country. The design was in widespread use from about the middle of the eighteenth century and it was basically the same two hundred years later. While the structure of the kilns themselves can be studied on sire, much of their individual history is unknown because contemporary descriptions of the industry are rare. Limekilns are difficult to date because of this and because of the continuity of building methods, materials and design. For instance it is possible that adjacent kilns may not have been used concurrently, but might have been used in sequence. If a kiln was not worth repairing after a period of use, its stone may have been removed to construct a new one nearby. It is only on rare occasions that records were made and rarer still that those have survived to tell the story of these structures.
The limekilns of the North Pennines are typical of those found anywhere in the country. The design was in widespread use from about the middle of the eighteenth century and it was basically the same two hundred years later. While the structure of the kilns themselves can be studied on sire, much of their individual history is unknown because contemporary descriptions of the industry are rare. Limekilns are difficult to date because of this and because of the continuity of building methods, materials and design. For instance it is possible that adjacent kilns may not have been used concurrently, but might have been used in sequence. If a kiln was not worth repairing after a period of use, its stone may have been removed to construct a new one nearby. It is only on rare occasions that records were made and rarer still that those have survived to tell the story of these structures.