Kilhoyle Lime Works

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large lime kiln on the south west facing slopes of Donald’s Hill near the large rath known as Kings Fort (Historic Monuments Reference: LDY 17:5). The stone structure which is buried into the hillside presents a flat facade to the south west approximately eight metres wide by four metres high. Its parapet is crumbling and a hole has opened up in the centre of the facade from which debris is also eroding.

At the base are two brick lined openings each with an exposed steel lintel. These are obviously two kiln openings as the flue openings are at the back. The brick work in each curves towards the flue. In front of the kilns is a flat grassed yard extending for five or six metres before the land falls steeply away down the hillside.

The sides of the structure are buried in the hillside. Above are the crumbling remains of parapets and two deep recesses over the flues of the kilns. An overgrown path or rodden can be made out above the kiln, this travels in a straight line through a cutting to a large quarry on Donald’s Hill behind. There is a second kiln associated with the quarry high up to the north but very little remains of this.

Directly to the north west of the kiln is a series of cascading man made waterfalls in stone and concrete.

Historical information

Quarry shown on 1830 map but kiln not indicated until 1848. ‘Tramway’ indicated on 1924 Ordnance Survey Map climbing from Gortnarney Road directly to the ‘Kilhoyle Lime Works’. A Dr Adams of Garvagh was the last person to own the works. They closed 50 years ago shortly after the Second World War.

Reference:

Resident of Gortnarney Road.
OSS 1848
IHR ref: 1697.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An unusual lime kiln in that it is of a much larger size than those normally encountered. Directly associated with the quarry behind it, the structure is an interesting piece of Industrial Archaeology. Softened by years of dereliction it is now a picturesque and intriguing object on the hill side, though when in use it probably detracted from it.