Bishopley Lime Kilns

If you've been an avid reader of the Fabulous North website for a while, you'll know we love a lime kiln and you might know that there are over 385 in Northumberland alone!

This is the first one we have featured on the website from the Durham area, but we know there are a few more to be found. One day we might cover them all.

These kilns near Frosterley were built around 1847 and owned by the Wear Valley Railway Company. There are two quarries nearby: Broadwood Quarry and Harehope Quarry which provided the limestone used to make the lime. This was brought to the kilns by rail, and you can still see where the old track used to be to this day.

As you may know, a lot of the lime produced in the North was exported to Scotland to be used in agricultural improvement. It was also used in the production of paper, paint and pottery and was big business in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Bishopley kilns closed in 1920, but following the Agriculture Act of 1937, two of the kilns reopened and were used until 1975.

We visited the kilns as part of a 7.5km walk we did near Frosterley. This is a stunning area: peaceful, beautiful with lots to discover about the history of the industry in the area. Details on the walk to follow!