The Cusop lime kiln.

The history of the lime kiln is uncertain, the 1:2500 OS map surveyed in 1886 does not show the kiln, the 1903 revision does indicating that it was constructed in the intervening 17 years. However, a common assumption is that local production of lime became uneconomic with the arrival of the railway, which reached Hay in 1864.

Restoration

Work began in late November 2018 to fell a large tree causing severe damage to the kiln and to clear vegetation to allow easier access. This was done by Neville and John.

Later in December David Lewis began work in the area and cleared more undergrowth, Neville and John then joined David, first to clear the large logs that had been thrown into the kiln and then to remove the soil and rocks half filling it. This was done by climbing down into the kiln and filling a builder’s bag, the bag was then lifted out with David’s digger.

"We were surprised at the quantity of soil and the size of the rocks, some rocks had to be rolled into the bag as they were too heavy to lift. The reason for the quantity and size of rocks and soil in the kiln is unclear, there were also several bottles and cans and strangely a number of jam jars, bottles including two whisky bottles.

We are currently about 15 feet down and the inverted cone shape has become too small to work, as a result we have started to try to clear from the entrance at the base of the kiln. There is a very large amount of stone here, some from the collapsed wall of the kiln. Masonry is mainly stone with blocks increasing in size as the kiln gets deeper however there are also a number of bricks, some red and a normal brick shape others are white, some of these are brick shape others are angled, they appear to have been used around the top of the kiln."

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The erection of safety fencing around the charge hole of the kiln on 11 March 2019 marks the end of the first phase of this project. Further work could be done to improve access to the base of the kiln, an information board and a more precise survey of the site when the weather and general access improves.

Research work could also be done to establish the original ownership and date of the kiln and the connection, if any, with the rails that were once laid on the track leading to the kiln. There is also further scope to investigate the other lime kilns in the area.

Further work to repair the fallen masonry would require substantial finance and professional involvement, also the agreement of the landowner David Lewis, who has been extremely helpful in the work so far but does not want the site to become a tourist attraction.

As John says "To maintain and preserve the site should be the aim of our History Group."

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To see the full paper from John and Neville please click on the pdf file.