Fulwell Lime Kilns

After discovering there was a Coastal Watch Mirror in Fulwell, we found there were a few other interesting pieces of history in this area of Sunderland, the lime kilns being one of them.

The kilns are now partially obscured by a car showroom and forecourt but you can still have a stroll in and take a peek, just be careful you don't come away with a brand new Skoda too.

The kilns and nearby quarry (now a nature reserve) are a very similar set up to those on the coast at South Shields. Limestone was quarried at Fulwell for around 200 years, with some of the stone being burned there, whilst the majority was transported on the waggonways to the kilns and ships on the River Wear at Sunderland.

limestone industry was huge in the North East in the 1700s and 1800s, as lime had a wide range of uses. It was used as fertiliser, and in the building and metallurgy industries amongst other things and there was a big demand for it. It made the landowners at the time very rich.

The kilns are grade II listed and there is a blue plaque with some info on their history at the site. This is almost entirely obscured by nature, but it reads:

'For 200 years until 1957, the Sir Hedworth Williamson limeworks quarried a 140 acre site near here. The quarry has been reclaimed but these early kilns remain as a monument to our industrial past'.

The quarry is no longer in use, and as the plaque states has another use now, as a nature reserve. We went to have a look and it wasn't the most relaxing walk we've ever done, with mildly threatening motorbikes whizzing around.

But, we kept calm and carried on and it was actually a lovely walk in the end. Pretty sure we saw a Peregrine Falcon soaring around and there are plenty of smaller birds to see.

The kilns are obviously not a place to spend hours, but the Fulwell Windmill is just down the road and open on a Wednesday if you want to extend your visit.