Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A former quarry supplying chalk to mills and kilns to the north-west and ultimately to the former Aspdins Portland Cement Works, immediately to the north. Aspdins Portland Cement Works were established at Northfleet in 1846. During the 1850 the works had nine operational bottle kilns and produced a product named nine-kiln cement. Quarrying had ceased by the late 19th century, with cement works expanding further south into the quarry. The works continued until the earlier 20th century, being incorporated into the larger cement works (now Blue Circle) to the east. By the 1930s the works within the quarry had been demolished and the former works to the north reduced significantly.

Location accurate to 2m based on available information.

Monument Types

• STONE QUARRY (Abandoned, Post Medieval - 1846 AD? to 1899 AD? (at some time))

Full description

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A former quarry supplying chalk to mills and kilns to the north-west and ultimately to the former Aspdins Portland Cement Works, immediately to the north. Aspdins Portland Cement Works were established at Northfleet in 1846. During the 1850 the works had nine operational bottle kilns and produced a product named nine-kiln cement. Quarrying had ceased by the late 19th century, with cement works expanding further south into the quarry. The works continued until the earlier 20th century, being incorporated into the larger cement works (now Blue Circle) to the east. By the 1930s the works within the quarry had been demolished and the former works to the north reduced significantly.

The site to the east of Grove Road has been cleared of all its older buildings apart from a scheduled flare kiln (TQ 67 SW 77). The site presently comprises a number of light industrial buildings and a local league football ground.

A small late C19 building, which once formed part of the Aspdin’s Cement Works, still survives to the west of the quarry and adjacent to Grove Road. Built in yellow stock bricks with a slate covered hipped roof, the two-storey building adopts an L-shaped plan. Industrial use is suggested by the presence of four archways, two at each level, built into its south facing elevation. Only one arch survives intact, as two have been blocked and one enlarged into a doorway. A ventilator (also blocked) is present towards the eaves, while tie-bars and plates visible along the eastern wall, suggest structural failure and/or the need to strengthen the floor. The building is subsiding badly below its north-eastern angle.


Component Cement works
Remains yes (building/kiln)
At Risk in-use
Status Scheduled (Kiln)
Current use Industrial

Industrial potential
Given the limitations on access there remains a fair probability that further remnants of the former works survive. Subsurface survival of the other the kilns, will be dependent upon the overlying structures and future development within these areas may reveal buried evidence of the kilns lower structures.(1)

Location accurate to 2m based on available information.

<1> Essex County Council, 2003, Aggregates Levy Survey Industrial Sites, KN558 (Unpublished document). SKE12009.

Sources and further reading