Oil Retort House
OIL RETORT HOUSE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1057429
- Date first listed:
- 16-Nov-1984
- List Entry Name:
- Oil Retort House
- Statutory Address:
- OIL RETORT HOUSE
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1057429
- Date first listed:
- 16-Nov-1984
- List Entry Name:
- Oil Retort House
- Statutory Address 1:
- OIL RETORT HOUSE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- OIL RETORT HOUSE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Kilve
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 14452 44313
Details
ST14SW
5/125
KILVE CP
KILVE PILL
Oil Retort House
GII
Oil retort house.Circa 1924.Red brick,irregular bond,and cast iron.Roughly square in plan,a rectangular block about four metres high and 2.15x2.45 metres square.Flat roofed,divided by recessed string course with inset cast iron bar on East front,corbelled projection below on all fronts,irregularly placed square ventilation holes,majority on East and West fronts;segmental headed loading opening on West front at ground floor level with cut off pipe above,angled segmental headed opening on North front above low external stepped plinth partially damaged.Surrmounted by cast iron chimney with flange attached on West side,thought to have been an attachment to carry away and condense the vapours,in all about five metres high.In 1916 it was discovered that the shale beds of the North Somerset coast were rich in oil and in 1924 Dr Forbes-Leslie founded the Shaline Company to exploit them.This retort house is thought to be the first structure erected here for the conversion of shale to oil but the company was unable to raise sufficient capital and this is now all that remains of the anticipated Somerset oil boom.Listed primarily for historical interest.(Country Life October 26,1967;photograph in NMR).
Listing NGR: ST1445244313
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 265166
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Country Life in 26 October, (1967)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 13-Jul-2026 at 07:08:30.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.