Kiln - lime

The National Monuments Service's description

This two-phase limekiln was excavated in advance of construction along the route of the N8 Rathcormac-Fermoy Bypass in 2003. This roughly circular limekiln, the majority of which was underground, produced evidence of two distinct phases of building and use: Phase I - an earlier, large, outer kiln and Phase II - a later smaller kiln built inside the earlier kiln. The walls of both kilns were roughly concentric along the E arc whereas the wall along the W arc was reused for the second phase of activity. A large pit (diam. 7.5m; D c. 4m), that had been dug into the natural subsoil, housed the initial Phase I kiln. This kiln (int. 5.9m N-S; 5.6m E-W) comprised a stone-built wall (max. T 0.6m) of sandstone which was generally two courses wide. The wall consisted of randomly coursed, highly vitrified, sandstone blocks and was battered outwards from the base. The wedge-shaped entrance and raking out area of the kiln, which narrowed towards the E, was located to the W of the kiln. This entrance was contemporary with the Phase I kiln as a number of flat paving stones were tightly bonded into the outer wall. A retaining wall was constructed at either side of the entrance to create a tunnel, only the foundations of these walls survived. The Phase II kiln consisted of the construction of a new inner wall and the subsequent raising of the floor level to meet the level of the entrance or stoking pit. A rubble core was filled in between the earlier and later kiln wall.
The remains of a ledge within the earlier and later kiln and unburnt limestone blocks within the Phase II kiln confirmed the identification of both structures as flare kilns. No dateable artefactual remains were recovered form the excavation of the kilns and radiocarbon determinations produced very long date ranges from 1520-1950 for Phase I and 1640-1950 for Phase II. A field boundary, indicated on the 1842 OS 6-inch map, was constructed over the kiln after it had gone out of use. According to the excavator (Quinn 2006d, 101), the Phase II kiln would have provided a more efficient means of producing lime and an easier means of removing the end product from the structure. Another limekiln (CO044-075----) was located c. 3m to the E. According to Quinn (ibid., 73), there was no evidence to suggest that either kiln pre- or post-dates each other as there was no stratigraphic link between the two areas. It is also possible that they were contemporary. (Quinn 2006b, 70; 2006d)

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009).

Date of upload: 22 December 2009