Burghclere Lime Kilns (Pic Heavy)

[hydealfred]

Burghclere Lime Kilns

This post follows on for my previous one of Burghclere Signal box. Located behind the signal box was a siding that led to a chalk quarry and lime kilns.
The quarry and kilns were opened for operation in 1885 by Messers Forders. The quarries were taken over by the British Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd in 1913. This company introduced two new kilns of German Manufacture from which lime emerged cold. The lime was taken out in sacks and transported by rail via the Didcot Newbury & Southampton Railway. The quarry appears to have finally closed in April 1938 due to a lack of demand for the product.

These posts held the gate that closed off the siding leading to the quarry

Brick archway that passed under the railway siding enbankment

Not sure what this is - gunpowder magazine ?

Concrete roof structure covering the lime kilns - despite their size if you walked past these
you would not know they were there - I only found them by chance

View looking up at lime kiln. The kilns are located on a very steep slope and are not easy to
get to - my hill climbing skills came in handy

View showing the metal bands that clamped the kiln

View of one of the kilns at working floor level - note the partially collapsed roof

View from the working floor - that is a sheer drop at the edge of the floor area

Clamping bands

Clamping bands bolt detail

Internal wall detail of one of the kilns

Decaying brickwork

Entrance onto working floor area

Cast iron fire bar

Narrow gauge rails used in kiln wall construction - probably salvaged from the narrow gauge
railway that was used on the site for transporting chalk from the quarry face

Detail of roof steel

View of the remains of the quarry workings

The railway embankment that communicated with the quarry working face

Former quarry workers cottages - with DN&SR trackbed in the foreground

Aerial view of the site

Thanks for looking

 

[Alansworld]

Purely fascinating! What a great find, and great pics.

I'm not a million miles away, and may have to take a look.

Many thanks

 

[Foxylady]

Wow, these are great. I haven't seen any like this before...fabulous find.
Excellent report...love seeing the other remains in the area. Cheers.

 

[Walrus75]

Nice find, very interesting background info too, I was looking at a couple on Anglesey last year that were very boring by comparison.

 

[Faing]

great report are the cotages still occpied? i never have thoght of lime kilns been of interest to be honest, i used to have one in the field but filled it in a few year back and reseeded the whole area, i will have look see if i have any pics maye with i t in the background of something i took.the old qarry is still there though but isnt very intresting tbh

 

[hydealfred]

great report are the cotages still occpied? i never have thoght of lime kilns been of interest to be honest, i used to have one in the field but filled it in a few year back and reseeded the whole area, i will have look see if i have any pics maye with i t in the background of something i took.the old qarry is still there though but isnt very intresting tbh

Yes the cottages are still occupied. It is surprising that the kilns are still here being how long ago they closed down. They are literraly clinging to a hillside and look like they could fall down at any moment.

 

[Faing]

the one in me field was set into the hillside with the loading place been on the road, looked nothing like them one of oyrs thogh probly becase it was only open at the front, it was bricklined though and would have been about 30ft high, there still a few nearby so i will maybe get a look of them for you .

 

[tarboat]

It's always good to see limekilns and these are so different from the normal ones in the UK. Thanks for an interesting report.