Lime Kiln

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing lime kiln, built c.1860, located to the east side of Bradan Road. Rectangular-on-plan, partially recessed within grassy bank.

Roof is covered by grass, with large circular hole in centre to load the kiln with limestone and fuel and exhaust fumes; now covered with steel grid. Walls are squared stone to base; coursed rubble to upper level with rubble coping.

Principal elevation faces west and contains large square-headed opening supported by modern steel beams and steel plates; the reveals of the opening are curved toward the rear and within the opening rear the wall is corbelled out from the square-headed draw hole at base (forming outer wall of furnace), supported at each step by modern steel beams.

North and south elevations partially recessed within bank.

Setting

Kiln has a roadside location with access from south to yard at upper level; bounded to each side by wire fencing.

Roof Earth
Walling Coursed stone
Windows N/A
Rainwater goods N/A

Historical information

A Limestone Quarry is captioned on the first edition OS map (1833) to the north of the present kiln but no kiln is shown until the third edition (1905) which shows it uncaptioned. The fourth edition (1939-51) shows the kiln captioned ‘Lk’ along with several others nearby.

The existence of the quarry is noted in Townland Valuations (1828-40) but it does not appear in Griffith’s fieldbooks or Annual Revisions, the land it is on being leased by George Acheson from Thomas Auchinleck.

The kiln appears to date from the mid- to late-nineteenth century, indicated by stonework detailing, reinforcement of the furnace and scale of the kiln, located near a stone quarry.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/33/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/33/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/33/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1905)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/33/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1939-51)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/33 – Townland Valuation Map (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/635B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/33 – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/37A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/35/11A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1923)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Free-standing lime kiln, built c.1860, located to the east side of Bradan Road. The structure remains largely unchanged and its function can be clearly seen; the opening in the principal elevation was to allow access to the lime produced from the reinforced circular furnace enclosed within the structure and the roadside location aided transport. The kiln, although no longer in use, represents the development of the quarry industry in the area and is a good example of a sort that has more substance than the common type.