• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
  • Online archive
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

    Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

    Farms focus on cashflow following SFI scheme closure

    Farms focus on cashflow following SFI scheme closure

    MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

    MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

    Resurfacing work to start in Shap – road to be closed for 21 days

    Resurfacing work to start in Shap – road to be closed for 21 days

    Arrests after drugs raid in Penrith

    Arrests after drugs raid in Penrith

    New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

    New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

    New vicar appointed for churches

    New vicar appointed for churches

    Award for Eden writer

    Award for Eden writer

    Penrith man admits possessing cannabis twice with intent to supply

    Penrith man admits possessing cannabis twice with intent to supply

  • Sport
    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    New boss revealed for Penrith AFC

    New boss revealed for Penrith AFC

    Penrith Panthers celebrate winning season

    Penrith Panthers celebrate winning season

    Darren Edmondson leaves Penrith AFC

    Darren Edmondson leaves Penrith AFC

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

    Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

    Farms focus on cashflow following SFI scheme closure

    Farms focus on cashflow following SFI scheme closure

    MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

    MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

    Resurfacing work to start in Shap – road to be closed for 21 days

    Resurfacing work to start in Shap – road to be closed for 21 days

    Arrests after drugs raid in Penrith

    Arrests after drugs raid in Penrith

    New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

    New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

    New vicar appointed for churches

    New vicar appointed for churches

    Award for Eden writer

    Award for Eden writer

    Penrith man admits possessing cannabis twice with intent to supply

    Penrith man admits possessing cannabis twice with intent to supply

  • Sport
    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    New boss revealed for Penrith AFC

    New boss revealed for Penrith AFC

    Penrith Panthers celebrate winning season

    Penrith Panthers celebrate winning season

    Darren Edmondson leaves Penrith AFC

    Darren Edmondson leaves Penrith AFC

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Important industrial site restored

by CWH
20 November 2023
in Latest, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Smardale Gill limekilns

One of Westmorland’s most important 19th century industrial sites, the Smardale Gill limekilns, near Kirkby Stephen, have been restored.

It means the Grade II-listed stone structures can be removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register.

The kilns had been one of 10 Scheduled Monuments and 74 Listed Buildings in the Yorkshire Dales national park to be classed as at risk.

Major repair work was carried out between May and October this year by contractors Staley Stonework of Richmond, following structural surveys completed by Mason Clark Associates of York. The project was led by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, as part of the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The restoration of the kilns is described as a significant achievement in a progress report on the national park authority’s annual work programme, considered by the Audit and Review Committee.

The project was also celebrated at the Dales Archaeology Day 2023, held in Middleham.

Senior historic environment officer Sarah Whiteley and an expert on lime kilns, David Johnson, who did the archaeological monitoring of the repair work on site, each gave presentations.

Mr Johnson told the conference: “It is a very good example of an industrial scale lime kiln and it’s by a very prominent footpath in a National Nature Reserve, so it was worth saving.

“It was in a heck of a mess but now I think it looks absolutely splendid.”

He paid tribute to stonemason Richard Staley, in particular for creating a bespoke device which was used to facilitate the injection of 30 tonnes of mortar into the rubble layer between the inner and outer walls of the kilns, to stabilise the structure.

Other work involved clearing turf from the kiln tops, removing loose stone from the firing bowls, replacing badly degraded stonework, and repointing throughout.

Ms Whiteley told the Dales Archaeology Day conference: “The kilns were built in the mid-19th century and appear on the 1857 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of the area.

“They were built initially for the production of lime used in the construction of Smardale Gill viaduct, then in the production of lime for steel making in Barrow and Darlington. They are part of a wider complex of industrial features here, which includes quarries, railway sidings, an incline plane tramway and engine house, representing what was formerly a major commercial lime producing operation.

“Hopefully we have maintained the significance of the kilns by doing this work, and have increased understanding of the monument.”

The Smardale Gill lime kilns are owned by Cumbria Wildlife Trust and are part of its publicly accessible Smardale Nature Reserve.

The national park authority worked with the wildlife trust, as well as the Northern Viaduct Trust, which owns the adjacent Smardale Gill viaduct, regarding access to the site and other logistics.

Related Posts

Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?
Expert advice

Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

22 June 2025
Farms focus on cashflow following SFI scheme closure
Expert advice

Farms focus on cashflow following SFI scheme closure

21 June 2025
MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges
Latest

MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

20 June 2025
Resurfacing work to start in Shap – road to be closed for 21 days
Latest

Resurfacing work to start in Shap – road to be closed for 21 days

20 June 2025
Arrests after drugs raid in Penrith
Latest

Arrests after drugs raid in Penrith

20 June 2025
New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose
News

New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

20 June 2025
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

MP asks for Government help over plans to replace M6 bridges

20 June 2025
New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

New Kirkby Stephen shop blends retail with purpose

20 June 2025
Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

20 June 2025
New vicar appointed for churches

New vicar appointed for churches

20 June 2025
Looking back through the archives

Looking back through the archives

20 June 2025
Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

Is outsourcing a strategic opportunity amid rising employment costs?

22 June 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Photosales
  • Online archive
  • Buy your paper
  • Digital edition
  • North Lakes Living
  • Advertise
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Review Your Cart
0
Discount
Add Coupon Code
Subtotal
Total Installment Payments
Bundle Discount
Checkout

 
0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • more
    • North Lakes Living
    • Buy Photos
    • Buy your paper
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald