Lime Kilns in the lane

This is my second contribution to the One Street project. Although our little lane is now very quiet and rural in times gone by there was a lot of mining activity. The clearest sign of that can be seen here in the shape of the remnants of the lime kilns. Lime kilns were used from medieval periods right through to the 18th and 19th centuries. They were used in earlier times for the production of mortar for building purposes, and sometimes, as during the 18th and 19th centuries, for the production of lime for agricultural purposes. Typically the kiln was set into the side of a shallow hill, so that carts could deliver limestone and firewood to the top. After burning slowly for at least 24 hours, the calcinated limestone, quicklime, was removed at the bottom, mainly for use on local fields.