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.
Get 1 point if you have visited this place. Already visited by 7 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.
What three words
garden.among.garage
Lat / Long
54.929293, -1.390085
Show Place On Google Maps
Turn right along the road and you'll see the kilns a short walk away behind a garage forecourt.
What three words
pens.jelly.factories
Lat / Long
54.933579, -1.393745
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.
WW1 acoustic mirror, which detected German Zeppelins as they approached the coast.
A stunning example of a lighthouse in Sunderland with a parabolic pier.
14th century gatehouse tower built by Sir William Hylton.
A cool little lime kiln up the side of a hill in Slaggyford.
A lime kiln set in a lovely rolling Hobbiton area.
A slightly ruined lime kiln in Hepple, just west of Rothbury.
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.