The building of the Settle-Carlisle Railway made heavy industry possible in Langcliffe and a Hoffman Continuous Kiln was built in 1873 for the Craven Lime Company. It became a key local industry and part of Craven’s industrial past.
The Hoffmann kiln was invented and patented by German inventor Friedrich Hoffman in 1858. The kiln had 22 chambers where limestone was continuously burned. The limestone was burned in a circuit which took around six weeks to complete one circuit.[19] The operation was very labour-intensive so provided a lot of employment for local residents[20] however under unhealthy and dangerous working conditions.
The lime kiln and quarry closed in 1931 as a result of a fall in sales and competition from elsewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment