Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Chalk quarry immediately north-east of the North Kent line and south of Northfleet High Street. In use by the later 19th century, supplying, in tandem with further pits to the west at Bakers Hole, etc, the Whites Portland Cement Works to the north of the railway. The quarries were linked via tramways which ran through tunnels below the railway line to the south and below the High Street to the north. It remained active, along with the bulk of the quarries to the west until it was worked out around the 1930s.

Location accurate to 2m based on available information.

Monument Types

• STONE QUARRY (Post Medieval to Modern - 1860 AD? to 1939 AD? (at some time))

Full description

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Chalk quarry immediately north-east of the North Kent line and south of Northfleet High Street. In use by the later 19th century (Evidence of smaller scale workings a sand pit and clay mill shown on the 1st ED OS Map), supplying, in tandem with further pits to the west at Bakers Hole, etc, the Whites Portland Cement Works to the north of the railway. The quarries were linked via tramways which ran through tunnels below the railway line to the south and below the High Street to the north. It remained active, along with the bulk of the quarries to the west until it was worked out around the 1930s.

Today the tramway has been reused as the main vehicular access into the modern Blue Circle Works. The tunnel below the railway line has been replaced by a modern bridge, and although a tunnel running below the High street remains, it has been subsequently renovated and is now of concrete construction. The quarry to the east of the former tramway mainly comprises two large circular-plan holders.

Adjacent and parallel to the former tramway is a mid-late 19th century subway, contemporary with and extending below the railway line. This provided pedestrian access to agricultural fields and the river to the south of the railway.

Component : quarry
Remains: tunnel (vehicular)
At Risk: in-use
Current use: Industrial

Industrial potential low
Significance: Low, small quarry with low levels of industrialisation. Given subsequent use unlikely any evidence of tramlines/cutting will survive. (1)

Location accurate to 2m based on available information.

<1> Essex County Council, 2003, Aggregates Levy Survey Industrial Sites, KN554 (Unpublished document). SKE12009.

Sources and further reading

Related records