Description

The monument comprises the remains of a quarry and a series of lime kilns, one of number of remains associated with the late 18th- and early 19th-century lime industry in southern Scotland.

There is a single stone-built draw-kiln with three draw-holes at the base. The lining is stone (rare in Scotland) and there is a loading range to its rear with mountings for a stationary steam engine on the top. Elsewhere in the quarry are the well preserved remains of a diverse range of clamp-kilns, which were built into the face of the quarry as it progressed forward. To the S of the draw-kiln are the footings of a building which is likely to have been associated with the quarry.

The quarry is known to have been first worked before 1791. In the second quarter of the 19th Century, when it was run by the Rev. J Beresford of Macbiehill (an unusual case of the landowner working the site for himself) it produced lime more economically than any other establishment in southern Scotland. It was probably worked together with the adjacent Bankhead Quarry.

The area to be scheduled is trapezoidal on plan and measures 400m from E to W by up to 130m transversely to include the kilns, a part of the quarry and an area around in which associated remains may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because it displays the well defined field characteristics of late 18th and early 19th century lime workings, specifically the full range of kiln technology. It is rare to have clamp-kilns and draw-kilns on one site, and the eastern ramp is also unusual. The site therefore has the potential to provide further information about limestone-winning and line-working technology and is important for an understanding of the significance of this industry in the economic and social development of southern Scotland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland