THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE ― These Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and are progressively growing to be the only record of life around Findon, West Sussex, England. Everyday stories about real people..... in fact, a potted history of the village. The topics today, are the history of tomorrow.
THE NEARBY WASHINGTON LIMEKILNS
O.S. ref: 119 124
Copyright Valerie Martin 2006
Washington is an ancient village immediately to the north of Findon and might be said to be at the head of the wind-gap through the South Downs which is traversed by the A24 London to Worthing Road. Several limekilns were recorded in the parish in the 19th century in the days when a farm of any size had its own limekiln
For anyone left wondering at this juncture what a limekiln was and what it was originally used for.... it was an industrial structure used for burning limestone or chalk (and strangely enough I have even heard of oyster shells being used). This is all done to produce quicklime for the agriculture land to raise its pH and so improve the fertility.
The limekilns usually comprise a circular or rectangular pit in which the lime was fired using wood, charcoal or coal as the fuel. At the bottom of the limekiln there were often drawholes (or stokeholes) through which the fire was lit, stoked.... and the ashes and lime extracted. Now you know as much as I do without getting too technical.
From c. 1839 there was a very productive chalk
quarry near the top of the Washington Bostal and right up until 1922 it
continued to be worked by the Floate family and produced lime.
This photograph of the Lime Kiln the area was taken pre 1907.
Where exactly are the Washington lime kiln remains? O.S. reference 119 124.
Going southwards towards Findon, drive carefully through Washington village. About 100 yards before the sharp left hand bend at the bottom of the Bostal there is a track on the left.
Walk up the track (this is a bridleway).....for 200 yards and on the left are the remains of the four limekilns relatively intact with their own wagon-loading bay.. On the other side of the track is evidence of the buildings. It is well worth looking at and imagining the old lime burners of 100 years ago.
Limekilns were extensive throughout Sussex, but
frequently operated on a very small scale. Local farmers Thomas and
Herbert Floate developed the production and sale of lime from this site into a
profitable little earner sideline to their farming. Their
product may have found its way down to the agriculture land at Findon.
30th January 2006 Hi Valerie, Lime Kilns My cousin Don Pelling worked in Lime until very recent
years. |
| 1st February 2006 Dear Valerie, Lime
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At the beginning of February 2006, I set off to find the elusive limekilns at nearby Washington for myself with my two faithful friends, Katie and her sister Suzie...
Here is the complete fascinating complex stretching along the cliff side....
The long abandoned kilns appear to have been constructed at different times, depending on the demand for lime I suppose.
The kilns were filled from above. On the top right, a broken wooden structure can be seen now covering the "chimney" on the edge of the cliff.
![]() I guess these are the foundations of the offices on the opposite side of the track mentioned by John Pelling. |
..... and here is the complete elusive giraffe at the top of the cliff face...
MYSTERY..... Has anyone an idea what this is below?
Suggestions welcomed..... because I haven't a clue.... it was beside the "giraffe".
| 9th February 2006 Valerie Mystery Object Bruce Elston, Gaborone, Botswana.
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| 9theSeptember 2007 Dear Ms Martin, Would just like to
say that I found your web site re the Lime Kilns most interesting.
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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Marti n exclusively for documenting life in Findon and sometimes beyond.
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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but just sometimes they might be! |