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- Last Updated: Thursday, 30 June 2016 16:56
- Written by GRAHAM BROOKS
YORKSHIRE DALES LIMEKILNS.
The Yorkshire Dales are mostly situated on the Carboniferous series of rocks, and therefore there are numerous outcrops of limestones throughout the area. The higher ground is covered by coarse grasses and peat and the soils are generally acidic in nature. When the enclosures of thes higher lands occurred there was a need to neutralise the acidity of the soils and so lime was required to spread on the land. This lead to the building of numerous limekilns to provide lime for this improvement. Some of the outcrops were of very pure limestone and these were exploited commercially (some still are but only for crushed limestone) and large Hoffman kilns were built at some of the sites.
Mill Gill Limekiln Nr Askrigg, Wensleydale SD 938 914.
Built from coursed gritstone overall height 3.8m. draw hole entrance 1.5 m high by 1.65 m wide a single draw eye. Circular infilled bowl 2.5m diameter. Large quarry behind connected by a ramp. access tracks from front to draw arch and top of pot.
Limekiln Nr Keld Swaledale NY 875 015
limekiln Nr Keld Swaledale NY882 015.
A kiln beside the road with the more normal arched entrance. Early 19th Century.
Limekiln Nr Keld Swaledale NY 886 018
A kiln with a lintel over the opening.
Limekiln Nr Keld Swaledale NY 889 017
Limekiln Nr Keld Swaledale NY 895 005
This kiln has a pile of limestone at the top ready for the next burn.
limekiln next to West Stonedale Lead Mine NY 886 035.
This circular kiln is 3.5m diameter and is 3m high at the front. access arch is 1.8m wide.
Limekiln Swaledale SD 921 975
Limekiln Swaledale SD 945 977
Early 19th Century rubble built paraboloid shape with an arched entrance and circular pot.
Limekiln Swaledale SD 949 977
Late 18th Century drystone rubble built. A large stone lintel forms the arch and leads to the draw eyes. Circular pot with step backed outside wall.
Limekiln Kisdon, Swaledale, SD 903 985.
This small kiln is situated on the side of the track leading up from Kisdon farm to the fell. It is built just behind the drystone boundary wall and the large lintel in front carries the line of the wall across the front of the kiln the arch entrance is set back with walls joining it to the line of the track wall.
The arch entrance to the kiln.
Limekiln at Greenseat Gate, Swaledale, SD 897 905.
From the size if the depression left by the pot it would suggest that this kiln was a considerable size when it was operating. There is a well made track up through the fields and out onto the open fell to this kiln with the remains of bridge abutments were it crosses Greenseat Beck after leaving the enclosed land.