Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

The site was established as a quarry in the early 20th century, forming part of the

Swanscombe Works. The Swanscombe Works was one of the largest cement

producers throughout the 20th century, and at its closure in 1990 was the oldest cement producer in the world. Today the area has been redeveloped for residential use. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• CEMENT WORKS (Modern - 1908 AD to 1990 AD (post))

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

The Swanscombe Works opened in 1825, under the ownership of James Frost and was situated to the north of London Road, to the north-east of this site. The site was established as a chalk quarry in the early 20th century and formed part of the Swanscombe Cement Works, located to the north-east. The Swanscombe Cement Works formed one on the largest cement producers throughout the 20th century, and at its closure in 1990 was the oldest cement producer in the world. The wider site is representative of the gradual expansion of the cement industry in England, specifically within the Kent region during the 19th and 20th centuries. The site itself forming an example of the use of the extensive tramway network constructed by the industry as a means of goods transportation. The remaining built heritage of the former quarry comprises a pair of railway tunnels, one running north beneath London Road and the other running eastwards beneath Craylands Lane. The eastern tunnel bears a date-stone recording its construction in 1908, whilst the northern was constructed between 1908 and 1938, according to cartographic sources. Despite a lack of in-situ evidence of the former tramway system, a limited number of displaced timber sleepers and a pair of I-section rails are sufficient to indicate its former presence. Additionally, the existing site topography clearly identifies the former tramway circulation routes across the site despite their dismantling. The reuse of the northern tunnel as a gun-club and the emergence of a number of modern office buildings within the development site during its later history reflect the site’s later occupation by a plant hire company and vehicle depot during the end of the 20th century. This change in use is indicative of the general transformation of the cement industry within Kent during the period, representing the effect of the transition of smaller individual firms into larger merging companies, in effect forcing the closure of smaller sites and their subsequent redevelopment. (1)

<1> Archaeology South-East, 2016, LAND AT CRAYLANDS LANE/LONDON ROAD, LITTLE SWANSCOMBE, KENT. HISTORIC BUILDINGS RECORD, (HISTORIC ENGLAND LEVEL 3) (Unpublished document). SKE31665.

<2> Archaeology South-East, 2005, An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment and Walkover Survey of Land adjacent to London Road and Craylands Lane (Little Swanscombe), Swanscombe, Kent (March 2005) (Unpublished document). SKE31035.

Sources and further reading

Related records