Summer Explore....

While others took to the beach on this lovely summers day, hubby and I went inland for a summer explore. We were looking for the Historic Staveley Lime Kilns with just a scrappy piece of paper with directions which didn't make much sense. However we did find them after driving over gravel roads, tramping uphill through paddocks full of wild flowers, passing two lots of beehives and then one came into sight - yes just one, the other was in another direction.
 
The older of the two kilns, referred to as the 'pot kiln', was built prior to 1890. It was severely damaged during the September earthquake in 2010 with massive cracks and one side at the top caving in. It was cordoned off with warning signs.
 
Totally overgrown we stumbled across the second kiln called the Langdon Kiln, which was built in 1898 by William Langdon. In 1898, Langdon leased 45 hectares of land near Staveley where he had struck a coal seam, and he used this coal to fire the kiln. The kiln was worked by Springburn Lime and Coal company and operated until about 1911.
 
The burnt lime produced at Staveley was used for agriculture. It may have been used in the building industry for mortar, putty and whitewash. The lime for the 'pot kiln' was quarried by hand using picks.
 
Crushed limestone was fed into the top of the kilns. The burnt lime was dropped from the kiln into trucks on a tramway in a rectangular tunnel beneath the kilns. The burnt lime was bagged and weighed, then transported to the markets. The heat while the lime was being burnt must have been intense, working conditions would have been difficult with no proper ventilation.
 
The lime kilns of Staveley in Mid-Canterbury are examples of a New Zealand industry prior to the turn of the century. They have a rugged appearance of Norman Castle Towers in ruin.
 
After our expedition we stopped by the Staveley café, I had a savoury scone which was really tasty and the best vanilla milkshake ever! We also saw the talented Topp Twins, the bonnet of their ute was up, they had their arms folded and were having a great discussion.
 
Ended up being quite a day, it was hot with just a gentle breeze sending whispering sounds through the trees and long grasses - quite peaceful.

Happy Saturday everyone :)