Fulwell Lime Kilns
Lime Kiln Sunderland Tyne And Wear

Fulwell Lime Kilns

Lime Kiln In Sunderland, Tyne And Wear

Old lime kilns at Fulwell, now a fancy backdrop for a car showroom.

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.

  Add To Bucket List   I Have Visited This Place

Get 1 point if you have visited this place. Already visited by 39 VIPs.

Login to the VIP area to add places to your bucket list, mark them as visited and more importantly see where you rank on the league table.

How To Find Fulwell Lime Kilns

Where Is Fulwell Lime Kilns?

Show Place On Google Maps

Lat / Long

54.929293, -1.390085

What three words

garden.among.garage

Where To Park For Fulwell Lime Kilns?

Show Parking On Google Maps

Lat / Long

54.933579, 54.933579

What three words

pens.jelly.factories

We parked on a quiet road close to Miller and Carter Steakhouse. Parking in the restaurant car park is not recommended.

Contributed by Sandra Clemens

I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.

More Places from Sandra
Sandra Clemens

More Places In Sunderland

Find more fabulous places in Sunderland, Tyne And Wear and if you know of a place we haven't listed, then let us know.

Fulwell Windmill
Fulwell Windmill
Windmill Sunderland Tyne And Wear

A 19th Century Windmill in Fulwell, built for Joseph Swan in 1806.

Monkwearmouth Bridges
Monkwearmouth Bridges
Bridge Sunderland Tyne And Wear

A single-span, through arch road bridge, built in 1928-29 by Sir William Arrol and Company Ltd., and designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson, and a bowstring arch railway bridge built in 1879.

Men Of Steel
Men Of Steel
Art Sunderland Tyne And Wear

Four sculptures outside the Stadium Of Light that commemorate the city's industrial past.

More Lime Kilns

So this lime kiln wasn't enough and you want more? Don't worry we have you covered.

Slaggyford Lime Kiln
Slaggyford Lime Kiln
Lime Kiln Allendale Northumberland

A cool little lime kiln up the side of a hill in Slaggyford.

Castle Point Lime Kiln
Castle Point Lime Kiln
Lime Kiln Holy Island Northumberland

Probably the largest lime kiln in Northumberland sitting next to Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island.

Thorngreen Lime Kiln
Thorngreen Lime Kiln
Lime Kiln Allendale Northumberland

An ingeniously preserved lime kiln sitting on the wonderfully named Slag Hill.

Never Miss A Fabulous Place

If you are afraid of missing out on all the fabulous places we post, or just want to be the first to know, then sign up to the Fabulous North.

Each week we will email you all the brand new places that we visit.

Sign Up To Alerts
Sign up to newsletter
Fabulous North On Facebook

Find Us On Facebook

We post all our new places daily on our Facebook Groups page, so join the group today and be notified when we add a new place.

Join Our Facebook Group

Fulwell Lime Kilns was listed in Lime Kiln // Tyne And Wear // Sunderland