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This is one place I had always wanted to see but never did. Me and man gone wrong had tried it a couple of years back with no luck. But this time we were a bit more lucky. We spent a good four hours here. Till we heard a shout and a security man telling us we had to go. Thankfully we had just finished and had a nice easy way out the front gate. It was nice to finally get to see one of the original exploring industrial giants.
We started off in the motor hall. Then the silo area, then finally the rather grand rotary kiln area.
Shoreham had been a quarry since the 17th century working with chalk. Lime was processed in traditional kilns. These kilns would burn the chalk at high temperatures to make like. The process would take a long time from the burning process to cooling down. As the demand for cement grew the Beeding cement co started to build a large cement works. The company changed hands a few times and ended up being the British Portland Cement co. The company grew and buildings and chimneys were built. A tram track was built to transport chalk.
The whole plant in as originally powered by gas and electricity. A new wet mill and washing plant was built and driven by a gas engine to drive it. Parsons steam turbine and two compound condensing engines was used to power a 400hp engine to power the wet and dry mills. The company extended more and more especially in the late 40s. They then installed Vickers Armstrong rotary kilns. The first of its kind in the country. One of the original kilns was kept but shut down in 1967 after it was deemed to labour intensive. The plant at its height employed 330 people in 1981. And producing 250.000 tons of cement a year. The works closed in 1991, I gather one of the main reasons was the escape of dust from the rotary kilns causing pollution in the surrounding area.
The Motor Hall
Was nice to see the motor hall. The generators would power much of the plant in the building. Shame it has been tagged and the metal thieves had been in here. I guess this was long before the company that is in here now was there.
Cement Mill
The cement mill is stripped out. Apart from some large hoppers.
Silo Area
We took the long trek up the conveyor to get in the silo area. I ain't seen much from this area for some strange reason.
The conveyor motors still sit at the top to transport the chalk on the conveyors from the silos to the mills.
The ground floor was my favourite part but silence was needed due to being so close to the security hut. I really liked the concrete arches that supported the silos. And the years of chalk added to the white effect.
Continued..
We started off in the motor hall. Then the silo area, then finally the rather grand rotary kiln area.
Shoreham had been a quarry since the 17th century working with chalk. Lime was processed in traditional kilns. These kilns would burn the chalk at high temperatures to make like. The process would take a long time from the burning process to cooling down. As the demand for cement grew the Beeding cement co started to build a large cement works. The company changed hands a few times and ended up being the British Portland Cement co. The company grew and buildings and chimneys were built. A tram track was built to transport chalk.
The whole plant in as originally powered by gas and electricity. A new wet mill and washing plant was built and driven by a gas engine to drive it. Parsons steam turbine and two compound condensing engines was used to power a 400hp engine to power the wet and dry mills. The company extended more and more especially in the late 40s. They then installed Vickers Armstrong rotary kilns. The first of its kind in the country. One of the original kilns was kept but shut down in 1967 after it was deemed to labour intensive. The plant at its height employed 330 people in 1981. And producing 250.000 tons of cement a year. The works closed in 1991, I gather one of the main reasons was the escape of dust from the rotary kilns causing pollution in the surrounding area.
The Motor Hall
Was nice to see the motor hall. The generators would power much of the plant in the building. Shame it has been tagged and the metal thieves had been in here. I guess this was long before the company that is in here now was there.
Cement Mill
The cement mill is stripped out. Apart from some large hoppers.
Silo Area
We took the long trek up the conveyor to get in the silo area. I ain't seen much from this area for some strange reason.
The conveyor motors still sit at the top to transport the chalk on the conveyors from the silos to the mills.
The ground floor was my favourite part but silence was needed due to being so close to the security hut. I really liked the concrete arches that supported the silos. And the years of chalk added to the white effect.
Continued..
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