Disused Lime Kilns

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A block of four defunct lime kilns with associated store and offices situated on the south side of Clarehill Road, some 250m SE of the former Clarehill Quarries which they once served.
The kilns are aligned NE-SW at the SW end of the complex and are set into a high embankment such that their principal elevation faces SE.

The kilns are of limestone construction throughout and are battered to their exposed faces. The walls of the SE elevation are of finely dressed blocks laid to regular courses, with decorative limestone snecking. A projecting coping course runs along the top of the façade. Both ends are of squared random rubble construction and without snecking. The NW side of the embankment has been completely dug away, thus severing access to the tops of the pots. A metal fence now runs along the NW side of the top.
The draw holes are set at regular intervals along the base of the SE façade. Their arches are of semicircular profile, with dressed voussoirs. Their inwardly curved abutments and soffits are of squared random rubble. Each opening tapers back to two shallow segmental brick arches, below which is a square-headed brick opening into the base of the firing chamber. The third drawhole from the SW end has been cleaned out to reveal a circular brick-lined bottom to the chamber. Between and above the first and second drawhole from the SW end is a metal bracket of unknown function. The tops of the SW two pots are open and have brick linings, tapering inwards towards the bottom. The two pots at NE are buried under vegetation.

The NE end of the kiln block is abutted by a three-storey, two-bay store, the principal façade of which faces SE. The wall break shows the store to be a later addition. It has a replacement pitched corrugated-metal roof over the original common rafters and purlins. The walls are of quarried greywacke/shale brought to courses, with a projecting brick eaves course. There is a brick-headed doorway into each bay on the ground floor of the façade. The SW bay retains its tongue-and-groove sheeted door. The ground floor of the NE bay is also lit by two small square-headed window openings with brick heads and jambs. The first and second floors are lit by three segmental-headed brick-lined openings (originally containing timber shutters). The rear elevation of the NE bay has a door and window at first floor level (the former opening out to ground level) but is otherwise blank. None of the window openings has a cill.

The NE gable of the store is abutted by a small single-storey single bay office block of L-plan. It has random rubble wall construction and a brick chimney and has brick quoins and a brick header course at eaves. The rear wall is constructed, in part, in modern concrete blockwork. There is a small square headed door opening with sheeted timber door and square headed window with brick surrounds blocked with corrugated perspex on front NE façade. It has a hipped natural slate roof covering to front and corrugated metal to rear.

The kilns were formerly served by two quarries c.250m NW. These have now been partly infilled and redeveloped as a small industrial estate.

Store:
Roof - Corrugated metal/slate
Rainwater goods - None
Windows - Timber shutters
Doors - Sheeted timber

Historical information

The precise date of erection of these kilns is uncertain, but they are probably of earlier 19th century date. Four kilns are depicted at this location on the 1834 Ordnance Survey six-inch map, along with extensive quarries are also shown to their NW. The adjoining store and offices are first depicted on the 1858 OS map and are therefore of mid 19th century date.
The 1862 Griffith Valuation notes James Hammond as the lessee of “four kilns, well built, [and] chalk quarry”. The 1876 valuation entry notes that the chalk was hard to quarry as it was covered with a deep layer of earth. The 1904 entry noted that the kilns and quarry and not been worked for three years and that the buildings were vacant. There are no records of any subsequent activity.

References - Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/3/13/1. First edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 13 (1834).
2. PRONI OS/6/3/13/2. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 13 (1858).
3. PRONI VAL/2B/3/47A, p.36. Second Valuation book (1862).
4. PRONI VAL/12B/21/17A-E, Valuation revision books.

References - Secondary sources:
1. Brett, C.E.B. Buildings of North County Down, p.241 (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A block of four lime kilns with associated store and offices situated on the south side of Clarehill Road, Moira. The stone built lime kilns with dressed limestone façade with snecking and semicircular profile arches, with dressed voussoirs, display good style and proportions.
Although the kilns’ setting has been diminished by the partial removal of the embankment and close proximity of recent housing, they are intact and form an impressive composition, now increasingly rare. Given their utilitarian function, the high standard of their stonework is particularly noteworthy. Set 250m SE of the former Clarehill Quarries, East of Moira Village on the road to Dromore and Hillsborough, they are of local interest as an example of lime burning on an industrial scale and contribute to the heritage of the area.