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Limekiln, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall. 1980
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Limekiln, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall. 1980
A general view of the limekiln. The Grade II listed limekiln is thought to date from the early-mid 19th century. Building work is underway and the store and office to the left are being converted into a house. The kiln in the photograph is termed a draw kiln, usually of stone structure. The chalk or limestone was layered with wood, coal or coke and lit. As it burned through, lime was extracted from the bottom of the kiln, through the draw hole. These are the three arches to the right of the houses being converted. The kilns were loaded at the top and access to load was usually by a ramped track or, as in this case, probably just a track as the kilns are built into the side of rising ground at the rear. Early on, the coal and lime stone would be delivered to the harbour by ship, but as the industrial revolution and and railways spread it is likely that coal and lime stone arrived by rail. Kilns made 25-30 tonnes of lime in a batch. Typically the kiln took a day to load, three days to fire, two days to cool and a day to unload, so a one-week turnaround was normal. Because it is so readily made by heating limestone, lime must have been known from the earliest times and all early civilisations used it in building mortars and as a stabiliser in mud renders and floors. Knowledge of its value in agriculture is also ancient, but agricultural use only became widely possible when the use of coal lowered the cost. Photographer: Charles Woolf
Royal Cornwall Museum is the UK's Greatest Museum For Cornish Life & Culture
TRURI : LOStn.12
Media ID 18842327
© RIC, photographer Charles Woolf
Architecture Building Greenham History Industrial Industry Joyce Town
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures Limekiln, Quay Street in Lostwithiel, Cornwall in the year 1980. The image showcases a general view of the limekiln, which is believed to have been built during the early-mid 19th century and holds Grade II listed status. In this photograph, we witness ongoing construction work as the store and office on the left-hand side are being transformed into a residential house. The kiln featured in this picture is known as a draw kiln, typically constructed with stone materials. To produce lime, layers of chalk or limestone were stacked along with wood, coal or coke and ignited. As it burned through, lime was extracted from the bottom of the kiln through a draw hole located within three arches seen on the right side of the converted houses. Historically, these kilns were loaded from above using either ramped tracks or simple tracks like those found here since they were built into rising ground at their rear. Initially delivered by ship to the harbor, coal and limestone transportation transitioned to rail during industrialization. Each batch produced by these kilns yielded approximately 25-30 tonnes of lime. The process involved one day for loading, three days for firing, two days for cooling down and finally one day for unloading – resulting in an average turnaround time of one week. Lime has played a crucial role throughout history as it was used not only in building mortars but also as a stabilizer in mud renders and floors across various ancient civilizations. Its agricultural significance became more widespread when coal usage reduced its cost significantly.
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