Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Post-medieval cement works

Second World War Defended locality DL46 at Johnson's Cement Works, Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent. It was probably designated in 1940 and would have been decommssioned in 1944. The nature of the defences is unknown. Nothing is believed to remain, the site being occupied by a modern housing estate. Second World War Home Guard Battle Headquarters, Johnson's Cement Works, Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent. For Defended Locality DL46. Probably designated in 1940 and decommissioned by 1944. The building used is unknown. The cement works was demolished post-war. Occupied by housing estate 2000.

Monument Types

• CEMENT WORKS (CEMENT WORKS, Post Medieval to Modern - 1874 AD to 1970 AD (between))
• BATTLE HEADQUARTERS (Modern - 1940 AD to 1944 AD)
• FORTIFICATION (Modern - 1940 AD? to 1944 AD?)

Full description

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I C Johnson purchased a 75 acre site at Greenhithe in 1874 and opened a cement works at an existing chalk pit. By 1880 the works were using horizontal mill stones to wet mill a slurry containing fuel. The engine house was set between the wet mill and grinding mills, the latter with storage warehouses attached. Some 15 kilns were used at this point, persunably chamber kilns. A stone beaker and then mill stones ground the clinker. By 1900 the site had grown to 200 acres in extent with a wharf capable of recieving 2000 ton vessels, a works railway of 4.5 miles, 54 chamber kilns and two sets of grinding mills with tube and ball mills. The weekly output was 1,300 tons and 300 were employed. In 1873 Johnson built special condensing towers on each kiln in order to reduce polution in the surrounding area. In 1902 the works recieved the first ball mill (used for primary grinding) in the country. (1) In 1900 the works were illuminated by arc lamps from a horizontal steam engine driven dynamo. In 1907 the first rotary kiln was installed and five were in place by 1921. By 1926 output had grown to 500,000 tons a year. Blue Circle latterly ran the site and closed it in 1970. (2) The chalk pit Johnson took over was already served by a tramway runing under the mainline railway to a wharf. The works was built in the pit at the southern end of this and initially consisted of a main block of buildings with smaller structures either side of the tramway immediately to the east. An E-plan structure was situated a little way east of the main building connected by a branch line.

The main area of extraction was west of the works by St. Mary's Church, stone with a separate processing building built in it. By 1909 the works layout was basically unchanged with some extensions but a new complex had been added just to the north-east of the main group. A further tramway jetty had been constructed immediately east of the existing pair called the West Works Jetty which may not have been connected with the works originating in a pit east of the complex near Mount Pleasant. By 1933 the works had been substantially reorganised with the older buildings being demolished and two new main blocks built at the extreme east and west sides of the complex with smaller buildings and wash mills between them. The pits to the west of the works were exhausted by this time and chalk came from the Castle pit to the south east, accessed by a tunnel under the London Road. Since closure in 1970 the site has been cleared. Site was marked on OS map 1st to 4th editions (2) and shown on site photographs (3-8).

Second World War Home Guard Battle Headquarters, Johnson's Cement Works, Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent. For Defended Locality DL 46. Probably designated in 1940 and decommissioned by 1944. The building used is unknown. The cement works was demolished post-war. Occupied by housing estate 2000. (9)

Second World War Defended Locality DL46 at Johnson's Cement Works, Greenhithe, Dartford, Kent. It was probably designated in 1940 and would have been decommissioned in 1944. The nature of the defences is unknown. Nothing is believed to remain, the site being occupied by a modern housing estate. The locality was presumably centred on the defence of this industrial asset but may have had a role in the defence of the route along the London Road to Dartford. The garrison was 72 Home Guard, with 29 rifles, 2 BLA and 1 BMG. (10)

<1> AJ Francis, History of the Cement Industry 1796-1914, In Francis also P. 257, Page Nos. 154, 251, (Bibliographic reference). SKE6454.

<2> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, PUGH,P 1981 HISTORY OF BLUE CIRCLE, P.265 (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<3> N/A, Ordnance Survey Map. Old Monarch record with attached monuments, OS 1ST, 2ND,3RD & 4TH ED. 1868,1897,1909 & 1933 (Map). SKE6458.

<4> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9682.

<5> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9709.

<6> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9790.

<7> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9881.

<8> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10046.

<9> Colonel, Gravesend Sub-Area, 01/09/1941, Gravesend Sub-Area - Plan to Defeat Invasion (Unpublished document). SKE24227.

<10> Colnel, Gravesend Sub-Area, 01/09/1941, Gravesend Sub-Area - Plan to Defeat Invasion (Unpublished document). SKE24228.

Sources and further reading