PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
||
 |
|||
|
At one time Plymouth was surrounded by lime kilns and there was even one at West Hoe. The remains of many still survive on the banks of the river Tamar. The last surviving working lime kiln in the South West of England was at the Radford Quarry, in Plymstock, owned and operated by ECC Quarries Ltd. The coal-fired kiln was opened in the 1930s and its products were used in the building and agricultural trades. Nine men were employed in running the kiln. In 1970 the Company had closed down the only other kiln in the South West, in the Mendips, and at the end of March 1974 the Radford Quarry kiln was to be closed down because of falling demand for the products and the problem of finding suitable coal to fuel it. It was planned to demolish it soon afterwards. Sources:
|
|||