Little Mill Lime Kilns, Northumberland. 2010.

I first saw the lime kilns at Little Mill in 2009. I was travelling by train on the East Coast Main Line up to Edinburgh. I literally spat my coffee out as we zoomed past it. I had to find it......

Limestone extraction at Little Mill began in the 18th century. A circular shaped kiln was constructed to convert the stone into useable lime. Those early quarrying operations are now grass covered lumpy fields.

In the 19th century a much larger kiln was constructed. It is one of the biggest ever built in Britain.This lime kiln supplied lime for export via the Morpeth to Tweedmouth railway, which was built in the 19th century, and runs alongside the quarry.

The kilns are Grade 2 listed and sit right alongside a public footpath and the railway.

I set out this day with the intentions of a nice day out and to make contact with the local inhabitants - it is on my list for a lightpainting exercise.
As the day unfolded I had many pleasant surprises and found lots more than I had bargained for.....

I apologise for the lack of quality and overprocessing in the images. The light was against me this day.

The larger kiln as you see it from the railway.



Sections of railway above the kilns. Early points can be seen.



Inside the kilns. This is what I wanted to see. The archwork is simply stunning. Calcites and mosses line the heat fused stonework.
Working in this place would have been very difficult. Extreme heat and poisonous fumes would have shortened many a mans life.



The stone for this kiln was taken from over the railway tracks. The quarry workings were massive.



Whilst on the footpaths and bridleways I came across some old ruined cottages. They form a row of four terraced properties. Removal of roofing slates saw their demise. If I had the money I would restore them - they really are beautiful.



Basic services were provided for the houses. I came across this toilet, though it does look quite modern?



In all it was a very interesting day out. The weather was good, the locals friendly and the artifacts fascinating. I will definately return to this site at a later date.

Thanks for looking.

Sausage said:

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Something really moving about that picture, nice one!
Good report.

m.

I was thinking about lime kilns just before I came in the forum and saw your post!!!
Lovely photos, Sausage. Agree with muppix...that one's superb. Great interior too.

Well done spotting the place. Nice work. That toilet is basic!

Haha. Definately basic. The pipe led to an ash filled shed. Mind you - on top of that ash was mountains of old rusty metal but also ceramic pots and stone bottles. I didn't have time to look though.

I agree about that quarry face. I gasped when I saw it. Limestone is still quarried nearby too. Reinforced concrete pipes are made with it.

Good pics Sausage. Those abandoned houses to me look like they've been restored. The brick work around the window holes etc look quite new. no sign of restoration?

Great pics and report.
Those kilns look similar to the ones next to the harbour in Seahouses, incidentally.
http://www.northumberlandcam.com/seahouses.htm

Vintage said:

Good pics Sausage. Those abandoned houses to me look like they've been restored. The brick work around the window holes etc look quite new. no sign of restoration?

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Definately not restored mate. The walls appear to be made of basalt whilst the dressed stone is a good quality sandstone. There is evidence of wear on that sandstone but just from the elements. I think the cottages may have been connected to the quarry: managers housing perhaps?

This kiln is on the same belt of limestone as those at Seahouses. If a structure does well then copy it.

What does interest me further here is the mention of limestone and volcanic activity. Lead and other valuable minerals are formed in these areas. There is mention of lead mines near here - that is another reason for chatting with the locals......

This is excellent mate. The pics are splendid indeed. So glad you got up there. Its interesting area as although its in North Northumberland where one would never expect to find lead mining, there is a record of lead prospecting in the 18th century. Kinda makes snse though as its right on the Whin Sill igneous intrusion, where galena etc would have formed in hydrothermal veins. More investigation definitely required!

Littlemill

Sausage your pics of the kilns at Littlemill are excellent i knew the former owner very well he died in 1968/69.
I have some photos of the quarry and locos used therin but i am having a problem uploading them.
A few notes;-
There were two quarries owned by the Richardson bros Littlemill west which is the limestone quarry and Littlemill east which was a whinstone quarry the east coast mainline railway utilises the fault line to gain a path.
The Lime works was rail connected via a metal gate adjacent to the former Littlemill signalbox, a siding led into the exchange yard where coal was brought in and lime taken out. A siding went straight into the large gate at the front of the kiln so quick lime could be loaded straight on to railway trucks. Incidentally in the area of the exchange sidings was a well and pump which fed the owners house.
A standard gauge railway line led from the exchange sidings between the old and new kilns to the coal staiths located in the quarry.
Below the coal staiths and behind you as you look towards the water filled quarry face was a small yard where the limestone was brought from the quarry via a two foot six inch gauge railway. This railway continued up the incline and over the standard gauge tracks to the top of the kilns. A steam powered haulage engine stood at the top of the incline and hauled the full tubs up with a wire rope. The tubs were discharged manually into the kilns putting alternate layers of coal and limestone.
The kilns were then fired and the resultant quick lime raked out into wagons for dispatch.

Towards the rear of the large kiln is a concrete capped trial boring for coal which did not work out apparently the coal seam was thin and very wet. If the coal could have been located in good enough quantitys the enterprise would have suddenly become a lot more profitable.

Lead as various correspondents noted is often found in limestone areas and indeed it was often found at Littlemill where the Richardsons would send it to one of the processors in Durham when there was a full wagon load. Some pieces were still in Harry Richardsons front garden in the sixties.

The kilns at Seahouses were fed by a tramway from a quarry now a water hazard on the golf course. This tramway appears on the early Greenwoods map of Northumberland

Excellent stuff geedee.

The site as a whole (and some nearby stuff) definately needs further investigation.

I believe you have also made contact with me via Flickr..