Brockham Limeworks - Surrey Life
Brockham Limeworks: A Monument to the Ghosts of an Industrial Surrey Past
by Matthew Williams, Surrey Life Magazine
27th February 2012
This weekend I took a quick detour over to Brockham Limeworks, a site I had been intrigued by since compiling a Hertitage Open days feature for Surrey Life Magaine a few years back.
Now an important Nature Reserve managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust and bat hibernation site, the chalk pits and lime kilns near Box Hill were last used in 1936, while the mineshaft was last worked in 1975.
Now they stand as a scheduled ancient monument to the ghosts of the area's industrial past, but remain on English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register.
The study says: 'The limeworks of Brockham Brick Company house unique surviors from a period when England led the world in industry. The 19th century flare kiln and Brockham patent kiln are among the most important industrial structures in Britain, yet quickly fell into disrepair when operations on the site ceased in 1936.'
While I 'm certainly not the greatest photographer in the world, I hope these photos do the area's mystery some sort of justice.
Matthew Williams/Surrey Life
