KILNS AND LIMEBURNING

High quality limestone was in abundance at Llanymynech and it is likely that limestone burning began well before the 16^th century. From as far back as the Bronze Age there is evidence that copper, lead, zinc and silver were intermittently mined on nearby Llanymynech Hill.

By the 19^th century there was a very heavy demand from limekiln owners for limestone which they burnt to create quicklime, an important soil fertiliser. Also, many new uses had been found for quicklime - in the chemical industry and for lime mortar and plaster in building work. Much of the limestone from Llanymynech also went to blast furnaces in Coalbrookdale and the Black Country for use as a flux to help iron ore to melt. Therefore it is quite possible that much of the metal machinery used at the quarry was manufactured using Llanymynech limestone.

Many vertical kilns, known as shaft, or draw kilns, were built along the banks of the canal towards Ellesmere. They were supplied with limestone from Llanymynech in canal barges or carts, the stone being brought from the quarry to the canal in small trucks down a series of inclined planes.

An interesting example of five shaft kilns can be seen near the old canal at the bottom of Rhiew Revel Lane, approximately 1.5 miles from the Heritage Area along the towing path towards the village of Pant. A house, appropriately called The Five Kilns, now stands above the kilns, at the bottom of an inclined plane.

At the top of the lane, (a steep climb), a short walk to the right along the main road, is Gyn Lane which leads to an excellent example of a Gin Wheel, the large drum which was used to control the speed of the descent of the limestone carrying trucks. The Wheel was restored some years ago by Llanymynech & Pant Parish Council. There is some limited parking on Gyn Lane.

Vertical kilns however were slow and inefficient in the use of coal, which had to be transported to the site so, in 1899, a revolutionary Hoffman Horizontal Ring Kiln was built at Llanymynech. This type of kiln used a number of burning chambers to form continuous production, it was very fuel efficient and produced best quality quicklime. However, the Hoffman Kiln was built too late. The invention of Portland cement, new kinds of fertilisers and revolutionary chemicals sounded the death knell for large scale lime burning and production ceased in 1914.

The Kiln then lay derelict for many years until a local, enterprising farmer realised that the empty building would be an ideal shelter for his herd of cattle. He appeared not to believe in mucking out and, over the years, the resulting tons of manure produced by the Kiln’s bovine occupants raised the height of the floor inside the structure by a substantial amount!

Fortunately, for our industrial heritage this Hoffman Kiln, which is the best example of three remaining in the country, was left intact, together with two nearby shaft kilns, and the 200ft high chimney is still a landmark which can be seen from many miles away.

In 2005 the Heritage Area received a large grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a three year programme of restoration and improvement, so the preservation of this important, historic site is now assured.