When Heritage Goes Bad - Dunaskin Brickworks - June 09

[tarboat]

In 1848 the Dalmellington Iron Co opened a large ironworks at Dunaskin near Dalmellington. The works flourished into the twentieth century, but by 1921 had become obsolete and was closed during a strike. The furnaces were demolished and in 1928 a brickworks was established on the site with the 1847 blowing enginehouse converted for brickmaking machinery. The clay was drawn from seams found in the local coal mines. Brickmaking continued until 1976 when demand was so low that 2.5 million bricks were stockpiled on site and production ceased.

In the late 1990s a heritage centre was developed at Dunaskin to tell the story of the industries in the Doon Valley through the structures remaining on the ironworks/brickworks site. This included the former blowing enginehouse and two kilns. The oldest kiln is a transverse-arch continuous kiln of 14 chambers constructed in 1928 and still with its original roof. The other kiln is a 24 chamber Belgian continuous kiln erected in 1935. There are two also brick chimneys on the site.

I cannot see how the heritage centre could ever have been a viable business. By 2005 the local authority withdrew funding from the ailing heritage centre and it closed down. The buildings have been abandoned and left to decay. The adjacent steam heritage railway centre continues to flourish and operates services throughout the summer at weekends.

On the approach

The original ironworks as seen in 1871

This view is taken from just behind the double-gabled building seen in the 1871 photo. The blast furnaces would have been to the left of the nearer chimney.

Transverse-arch continuous kiln

Blowing enginehouse

Belgian continuous kiln

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[swedish]

nice report, decent shots thanks for sharing

 

[Labb]

Very good shots. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ashless]

God-damn that's some tasty brickwork going on there, don't make 'em like that anyore!

 

[Andymacg]

nice report

I visited there when it was still open, no wonder it didnt stay open during my visit with the missus we were the only ones there, and that was during the hieght of summer in 2003

there was in one of the outbuildings a pretend coal mine that was so unbelievably bad,it just some black sheets hung from the celing and few lumps of coal on the floor iirc

 

[Goldie87]

Seems a real waste, it looks a nice place for a wander

 

[Black Shuck]

Excellent stuff there mate. Very well captured. Some very fine brickwork. A Red Brick Victorian Edifice.

 

[Trinpaul]

A very impressive site. In hindsight, had there not been the attempt at preservation there'd probably be little for you to have taken pictures of

 

[Misstee]

Nice report, Tarboat.

We were down this way a few months back and I hadn't realised the heritage centre had closed - the brown signs we saw must've been for the steam centre you mention. This is one of those places we often drove past and always meant to visit.

Those kilns are lovely - well captured.