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  1. #1
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    Arrow 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


    This next building looked like some sort of canteen/workers room complete with a chimney on the roof!


    The third & largest building, some sort of engineering/machine building by the look of some mountings.










    Then onto the kilns themselves with large buttresses to the north supporting the kilns.


    Train track would have run under the 'arch' for loading from the platform.


    The platform is just on the left


    Looking off the platform with a small person added for scale


    Under each of the kilns were four containers in an archway


    Looking outwards from inside one of the arches


    On top of the kilns the circular track around the top could still just be seen


    Further into the site were some older more derelict structures


    Inside the large hopper


    Under the hopper were pulley wheels


    Through a covered passageway were stairs to the highest part of the structures & our exit today.


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

  2. #2
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    Talking Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009

    Heres my pics of the day!







    The BLF logo proudly displayed on the now stark empty shell


    The internals






    Further along more buildings emerge from the landscape



    This structure is impressive




    One of the tunnels leading off from the facade


    Inside one of the two tunnels




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



    The climb up the landscape to investigate from above



    Evidence that a sheep had once lost its footing


    After that we climbed further hoping we didnt slip too!








    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!
    For more pics or a larger view of these pics see my flickr page.
    sqwasheress

    Want to see my pics? ...
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009

    Cracking stuff and excellent pictures. I would like to see this myself.

  4. #4
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    Default 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.
    My Flickr

    The treasure we take is captured in images not bags

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009

    Nice pics and report guys

    That place is awesome!
    Actually danger in my maiden name...

    My Flickr

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009

    What an impressive place. Nice report and pics you two

  7. #7
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    Default 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

  8. #8
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    Smile 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...

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Buxton Lime Firms, Buxton-March 2009

    Great images there chaps: as you say very photogenic.

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