Content can be downloaded for non-commercial purposes, such as for personal use or in educational resources.
For commercial purposes please contact the copyright holder directly.
Read more about the The Creative Archive Licence.

Description

Near the entrance to the quarry lie the remains of what appears to be two limekilns. Limekilns were commonplace in the 19th century, and were found wherever limestone could be quarried. Limestone was baked in these kilns, creating lime that could then be spread on farmland that suffered from acid soils, making it better for growing crops, or used as mortar to help build many of the earliest houses in Ely.

This seems an unlikely place to have limekilns, as the nearby quarry is formed of sandstone. However, it could be that small beds of limestone, known as calcretes, were found in the quarry in large enough quantity to feed the kilns. On the other hand, the limestone could have been brought over from the nearby Coed Bychan Quarry.

Do you have information to add to this item? Please leave a comment

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to leave a comment