Old Lime Kiln (Top), Millers Dale

This is a view of the top of the limekiln to the west (Buxton side) of the old railway station at Millers Dale, approximately 350 yds along the path (former railway line) on the right-hand side. There are also photographs showing the Bottom of the Kiln and the diagram on the accompanying Plaque.

The text on the plaque accompanying this view says:

You are at the top of two rock-cut limekilns which opened in 1880 to meet increasing demands for quicklime and worked until 1944. During the second world war metal caps had to be fitted to black-out the tops of the kilns from enemy aircraft.

The two overlapping narrow gauge tracks around the kilns brought limestone from the nearby quarry and coal from the railway sidings below. You can see signs of how the coal waggons were hauled up the slope by cable. Limestone was tipped from the inner rails and coal from the outer. (Coal, being lighter spread further.) 100 tons of limestone and 20 tons of coal produced about 56 tons of quicklime.

Two men worked up here keeping the kilns charged with coal and limestone from the side-tipping jubilee waggons.

Philip Ewing fell in and survived because the kiln had just been topped up. If it had burnt down he would have been killed by the heat and poisonous gases.

At the bottom, you can go into the tunnels where the quicklime was removed.

Half a mile east along the Trail, beyond the Millers Dale viaduct, you can see more traditional kilns.

(Commentary provided by Janet Kirk)