Twiston lime kiln and associated tramway 250m east of Twiston Mill

Reasons for Designation

Limestone or chalk has been the basic ingredient for lime mortar from at least Roman times. Since the medieval period, lime has also been used as agricultural fertiliser and, since the early 19th century, widely used in a variety of other industries: as a flux in blast furnaces, in the production of gas and oil, and in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries. The lime industry is defined as the processes of preparing and producing lime by burning and slaking. The basic raw material for producing lime is limestone or chalk: when burnt at high temperature (roasted or calcined), these rocks release carbon dioxide, leaving `quicklime' which, by chemical reaction when mixed with water (`slaking'), can be turned into a stable powder - lime. Lime burning sites varied in scale from individual small lime kilns adjacent to a quarry, to large-scale works designed to operate commercially for an extended market and often associated with long distance water or rail transport. Lime burning as an industry displays well-developed regional characteristics, borne out by the regional styles of East Anglia, West Gloucestershire or Derbyshire. The form of kilns used for lime burning evolved throughout the history of the industry, from small intermittent clamp and flare kilns, to large continuously fired draw kilns that could satisfy increased demand from urban development, industrial growth and agricultural improvement. Small-scale rural lime production continued in the later 19th and 20th centuries, but this period of the industry is mainly characterised by large-scale production and the transfer of technologies from the cement and other industries. The demand for mortars grew steadily during the 19th and 20th centuries. The successful production of mortars made with artificial cement represented an economic challenge to lime production and gradually replaced the use of lime mortars in major construction and engineering projects. From a highly selective sample made at national level, around 200 lime industry sites have been defined as being of national importance. These have been defined to represent the industry's chronological depth, technological breadth and regional diversity.



Twiston lime kiln survives well and is an excellent example of a large 19th century roadside lime kiln. It is a rare example in north west England of a lime kiln complete with the remains of an associated tramway.

Details

The monument includes a large 19th century roadside lime kiln and associated tramway, located on the south side of Twiston Lane, 250m east of Twiston Mill. It is a single pot draw hole type kiln which was used to burn limestone. Typically the limestone was tipped into the kiln from the top via the charge hole then burned using wood, coal or coke as a fuel. The resultant quicklime, also known as birdlime or slaked lime, was then shovelled out from the draw hole at the bottom of the kiln. Lime has many uses including spreading on lime deficient soils to encourage plant growth, the whitewashing of walls and ceilings of buildings, and concrete and cement production.

The lime kiln is a flat-fronted structure approximately 7m high which is constructed of randomly coursed limestone and sandstone and is built into the hillside. Its draw arch which leads to the draw hole, also known as the fire hole, is segmental and measures about 4m wide amd 2m high. Flanking the draw arch is a part-keyed buttress on the west side and a curving retaining wall which also acts as a buttress on the east side. The charge hole measures approximately 6m in diameter and is largely infilled. To the south west of the charge hole there are the earthwork remains of a tramway along which stone was carried in tubs or wagons along rails laid on an earth and stone embankment from the adjacent quarry to the kiln. In its present form the tramway embankment measures about 30m long by 2m wide and up to 0.3m high but peters out as it approaches the charge hole.

All fences and fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

35006

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Trueman, M, Twiston lime kiln, (1999)
Trueman, M, Twiston lime kiln, (1999)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry