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View Full Version : Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009



sqwasher
04-04-2009, 06:05 PM
Due to the Solvay process of manufacturing Soda Ash Limestone Quarries were in demand and in 1891 thirteen quarries within the Buxton Derbyshire area amalgamated in order to benefit from the demand and value. Buxton Lime Firms Co Ltd, as they were called, grew and by 1895 they were mining 360,000 tons of Limestone (calcium carbonate) and producing 280,000 tons of Lime from their 1522 acres of land, 3 Collieries, 89 lime kilns and 21 large stone crushers. They continued to flourish and bought and established nine more quarries in the following 20 years.
By 1918 John Brunner, who along with Ludwig Mond had founded the Solvay Process, was so dependent on the BLF limestone he bought into the company and by 1926 had full ownership. With the merger of all of the businesses I.C.I. was formed.
This quarry must have been one of the smaller ones that was either used just for the stone or closed when the larger quarry at Tunstead increased in size. Exploring the place was interesting, involved a fair bit of climbing and made a great photo opportunity.


Various buildings on the site before the lime kilns themselves:

The first building at the entrance to the site & nearest the main road
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3382243001_86b97828e7.jpg

This next building looked like some sort of canteen/workers room complete with a chimney on the roof!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/3383895501_d49435b81f.jpg

The third & largest building, some sort of engineering/machine building by the look of some mountings.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3403989286_7db5b593f4.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3445/3385919884_37ffa854e8.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3621/3403183737_6872b85e25.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3612/3382255613_c5e5d04008.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/3382253443_72fdf103d1.jpg

Then onto the kilns themselves with large buttresses to the north supporting the kilns.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3383896617_053705fafe.jpg

Train track would have run under the 'arch' for loading from the platform.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3450/3385893244_37096433fa.jpg

The platform is just on the left
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/3403186235_7b9aa2c41f.jpg

Looking off the platform with a small person added for scale :D
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3612/3385904600_dc33dc875f.jpg

Under each of the kilns were four containers in an archway
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3385085049_f49f0c3832.jpg

Looking outwards from inside one of the arches
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3385894980_1484f6937c.jpg

On top of the kilns the circular track around the top could still just be seen
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3385103861_242e264a92.jpg

Further into the site were some older more derelict structures
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3393242409_f14203c2cd.jpg

Inside the large hopper
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3393246643_390cd78e94.jpg

Under the hopper were pulley wheels
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3394045054_b9e5dc62a0.jpg

Through a covered passageway were stairs to the highest part of the structures & our exit today.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3394059542_0a6507c2e0.jpg

Cheers for looking & flickr has more of our pics from this site.

freebird
04-04-2009, 06:06 PM
Heres my pics of the day!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3407623629_275fd7297b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/3408430988_423d57cb4c.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/3407624323_6fe54b5fdf.jpg

The BLF logo proudly displayed on the now stark empty shell
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3407625235_af37c3aed2.jpg

The internals
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3407657441_3fc5b3d57f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3407656215_3562706993.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3407652073_5953ff17e4.jpg

Further along more buildings emerge from the landscape

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3408469496_f60e553dca.jpg

This structure is impressive
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3659/3408468462_1245d13c7c.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3577/3411046112_e6de48f96c.jpg

One of the tunnels leading off from the facade
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3408455702_774d0ba337.jpg

Inside one of the two tunnels
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3408449194_8ebe82a7c4.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3407653507_c7ea1c4c74.jpg

Further down the track structures with hopper, chutes, pulley wheels and trapdoors

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3407637875_c032944567.jpg

The climb up the landscape to investigate from above

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3407635233_15da96c4ec.jpg

Evidence that a sheep had once lost its footing
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/3407635749_1bed014c4a.jpg

After that we climbed further hoping we didnt slip too!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3407630565_2c5074797c.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3407645495_b50d29e7cc.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3407646423_6f381750e3.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/3407643381_3335168100.jpg

With the climbing completed and the exploration of this echo from the past concluded we dragged our weary bodies back to the car for a well earned rest! Thanks for looking! :thumb
For more pics or a larger view of these pics see my flickr page. :D

KingElvis
05-04-2009, 10:54 AM
Cracking stuff and excellent pictures. I would like to see this myself.

skin
05-04-2009, 11:01 AM
Cracking stuff - I drove up and down that Buxton road looking for this place a while back and failed miserably - good to see some pics of it.

magooČ
05-04-2009, 11:19 AM
Nice pics and report guys:thumb

That place is awesome!

Muse
05-04-2009, 04:49 PM
What an impressive place. Nice report and pics you two :)

boxfrenzy
05-04-2009, 06:13 PM
That is lovely work from both of you, and it really looks an impressive place to visit. Disappointed I wasn't able to join you on this one. Nicely written report too :thumb

sqwasher
06-04-2009, 10:26 AM
Cheers for all your comments peeps! It's not exactly full of 'stuff' but the buildings & buttress are REALLY photogenic! Rich-pity you couldn't join us but there's always another time...:thumb

converse1
06-04-2009, 12:07 PM
Great images there chaps: as you say very photogenic.