Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
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
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This next building looked like some sort of canteen/workers room complete with a chimney on the roof!
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The third & largest building, some sort of engineering/machine building by the look of some mountings.
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Then onto the kilns themselves with large buttresses to the north supporting the kilns.
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Train track would have run under the 'arch' for loading from the platform.
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The platform is just on the left
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Looking off the platform with a small person added for scale :D
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Under each of the kilns were four containers in an archway
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Looking outwards from inside one of the arches
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On top of the kilns the circular track around the top could still just be seen
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Further into the site were some older more derelict structures
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Inside the large hopper
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Under the hopper were pulley wheels
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Through a covered passageway were stairs to the highest part of the structures & our exit today.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/...0a6507c2e0.jpg
Cheers for looking & flickr has more of our pics from this site.
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
Cracking stuff and excellent pictures. I would like to see this myself.
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
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.
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
Nice pics and report guys:thumb
That place is awesome!
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
What an impressive place. Nice report and pics you two :)
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
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
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
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
Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009
Great images there chaps: as you say very photogenic.
