Information on shorehambysea, for visitors and people who have moved away. Not a great deal of history to this other than it shut in 1991 and used to be 1 of many cement works owned by blue circle. A book is kept in each mill for recording the testing of the grinding, which is done every. The majority of the shoreham cement works is situated upon. There has been a limestone quarry on this site since 1851 and the end to production in 1991 marked the. Other substantial industrial buildings around the harbour included the chemical works on shoreham beach, built in the 1870s to use by. Time to blast away a blight on the south downs the cement works near shoreham are an eyesore ripe for demolition ugly and redundant. Although commodities included building materials bricks, cement, and particularly timber, corn, oil, scrap. Sodor cement works is located on the kirk ronan branch line and is the place where fergus works. A new highend arts and cultural destination for the south east.
Shoreham cement works, shoreham, west sussex educational. Shoreham cement works east side, may 2015 returned to explore the elusive east side of shoreham cement works. On entering he discovered a hidden world which has cemented its reputation as an urban explorers paradise. In the early 1900s the works had expanded and in the 1940s, they were the first to receive the new vickers rotary cement kilns which still stand. The people today, like us, are day trippers come to see an extraordinary town. Once a major employer in the area its towering structure now lies empty. The quarry actually dates back to 1851 and cement was manufactured on the site since at least 1898. North west kent has an illustrious and varied industrial history, if not a somewhat complicated one. Cement has three main ingredients limestone, shale or clay and gypsum. This is the packing and distribution building at the old shoreham cement works which closed down in 1991. Report shoreham cement works, west sussex may 2017.
The present buildings were erected in 1949 and production ceased in 1991. These are shown with a later collection of circa 1970s photos taken by paul osborne, a porter at the hospital in continue reading southlands workhouse and. The whole site covers an area of approximately 118 acres just over 47 hectares and has been the topic of many heated debates over the two and a half decades since it. The work on the site was varied and complex and included the construction of buildings at the cement works, rail sidings and a coalhandling plant. The photograph is taken from the john laing collection. We did a recce of the shoreham cement works a week before, after a mooch in nearby lancing and found a way in. Blue circle industries was a british public company manufacturing cement.
The initiative was formed as a positive response to an ongoing series of negative proposals put forward for the shoreham cement works. Roger bateman on life in 18th and 19th century shoreham. Final preparations are underway for the demolition of the iconic westbury cement works chimney. The project has been developed with great sensitivity to the rich heritage of the site, along with the local fondness for its buildings and unique location within the national park. Derelictplaces is a forum for people with an interest in the history and. It is located just south of rolfs castle station and north of kirk ronan. Its so huge and so industrial and there are always new things to find. In recent news, there are proposed plans to transform it into an ecoholiday park while retaining as much of the original structure as possible. At the same time, the shoreham horsham and dorking railway company. Coniacian 88 million years ago from shoreham cement works. The off grid project was formed as a positive response to a series of negative proposals put forward for shoreham cement works. Michael blows on chalk a history of shoreham beeding cement works. Akarmara is a town of polar opposites, once a mining town with elaborate soviet architecture and now a ghost town swarming with people.
It is clear that health and safety standards have changed since this image was taken as they are not even wearing hard hats. Holywell nodular chalk formation, new pit chalk formation, lewes nodular chalk formation and seaford chalk formation. Shoreham cement works, west sussex shoreham works was established in 1883 to produce cement. Shoreham cement works, december 2018 derelict places. From 1815 cubitt was responsible for many large developments in london including belgravia, pimlico, much of bloomsbury and the area around clapham common. There is near on 300 years of industrial history at this site. The project has been developed with great sensitivity to the rich heritage of the site, along with the local fondness for its buildings and. In 1911, the british portland cement manufacturers ltd.
John whites book southlands workhouse and hospital. For thirtyseven years its iconic 400foottall chimney breathed its steamy breath under the hills of the white horse escarpment the escarpment that provided the allimportant deposits of chalk and clay, the two main raw materials used in making cement. History timeline for shoreham c43 romans invade c410 roman army leaves c645 first saxon landing in sussex c681 start of conversion to christianity c850 earliest parts of st nicolas church 990s viking raids cause havoc 1066 norman conquest c1096 st marys church and new shoreham founded c1 work begins on the marlipins now museum 1199 king john lands at shoreham on return to england to be. Shoreham cement works factory sussex abandoned derelict. The cement works has been described by the planning inspector as a major visual intrusion at a strategic point within the south downs. Lying on the main road between shoreham and upper beeding is the sprawling site of shoreham cement works.
History of shoreham british marine life study society. A tunnel under the road separates the distribution plant and administrative blocks west and the industrial site and chalk quarry east. Shoreham cement works abandoned britain photographing. On sunday i awoke in the wee hours of the morning, gathered my pack, and headed off to pick up some friends in search of adventure. Parts of the site are still used and it has 24 hour security with guards regularly patrolling. Burham brick lime and cement works burham works were established around 1850 by thomas cubitt, the victorian master builder. The production part of the works was recorded as comprising a chalk crushing plant, several wash mills, a mixing plant, rotary kilns, coal, gypsum and clinker stores. Originally just a chalk pit around the 1730s until the lime kilns were added in 1814. Opens a slower connection faster mirror no 29 1999 issue previous numbers of sussex industrial history still available. Time to blast away a blight on the south downs telegraph. The cement works received gypsum from robertsbridge and coal from dover, whilst once a week cement was transported to the british portland cement depot at southampton via shoreham and the south coast main line. The flints on the beach are younger santonian rocks.
Six johnson chamber kilns were used and could produce up to 144 tonnes of cement per week. The history of the site is everywhere on past reports. Sodor cement works thomas the tank engine wikia fandom. A selection of photographs by courtesy of maureen hooper, parish of kingston buci from the 1930s and 40s of southlands some of which are included in the rev. These works have been practically reconstructed since the sussex portland cement company took them over, and they are now capable of an output of 800 tons per week, making. From 1962 to 2009 westbury cement works produced over 700,000 tonnes of cement a year. The production part of the works was recorded as comprising a chalk crushing plant, several wash mills, a mixing plant, rotary kilns, coal, gypsum and clinker stores, crushing mills and a number of cement storage silos. The site is recognised as having the potential to provide for. Spur of the moment trip to the cement works when my normal sunday stuff went pear shaped. The shoreham cement works had been on my radar for a very long time and i remember the walkway that once went across the road.
The founder of new zealands cement industry, nathaniel wilson 18361919, emigrated from glasgow with his family when he was 6 years old. I find this place amazing each time i go, even though ive been there many times. Sussex industrial history archive pdf reader required all published volumes of sih in pdf format n. The site of the former shoreham cement works has been in industrial use for almost three centuries. Of those cement producing complexes which established themselves along the bank of the thames between dartford and greenhithe, the kent works was the most recent.
Shoreham cement works closed down in 1991, the site has now fallen into a state of disrepair schools out for summer nostalgic images worthing british summer holiday resort local history days out old photos places ive been. The landmark which is 400 ft 122 metres tall and is nearly as tall as salisbury cathedrals spire has dominated the landscape since the early 1960s but is due for controlled demolition at 7 am on sunday 18th september. The production part of the works was recorded as comprising a chalk crushing plant, several wash mills, a mixing plant, rotary kilns, coal, gypsum and clinker stores, crushing mills and a number of cement. In order to test the bridge at beeding near the cement works four engines with their. Shoreham cement works is based in a chalk quarry in west sussex. Here we investigate its deepest nooks and crannies. The present buildings were erected in 1949 with production ceasing in 1991. Location west sussex shoreham period 1950s 1950 1959 tags. The shoreham downs is a zone indicated by micraster fossils. The production part of the works was recorded as comprising a chalk crushing plant, several wash mills, a mixing plant, rotary kilns, coal, gypsum and clinker stores, crushing mills and a number of cement storage silos 4. The history of portland cement is in itself of much interest, but it is sufficient here to say that it is made.
The beeding portland cement company was founded in 1878 and began producing cement at the site in upper beeding near shoreham in 1883. The online mapping tools, bing maps, has been used to provide a link to the hospitals locations through the county listing, any photographs of an asylum can be followed through a hyperlink on the hospital name. Shoreham cement works, located within the south downs national park, has been closed since 1991 and the 118acre site constitutes one of the largest brownfield sites in the region. It is only one of the many buildings that are ageing gracefully there. Mark chalmers underwent a recent pilgrimage to a cathedral of concrete in west sussex, shoreham cement works. The steyning line was a railway line that connected the west sussex market town of horsham. Photos to date of the ship britannia in full classic sideon pose are in dirty condition and poor resolution that is until one turned up that was included with the collection donated by jean tyler. It was founded in 1900 as the associated portland cement manufacturers ltd through the fusion of 24 cement works, mostly located on the thames and medway estuaries, together having around a 70% market share of the british cement market. The first ever vickers armstrong design of rotary kiln was installed in 1940s. Sussexias publication journal sussex industrial history. During the 1950s cycle rides to bramber castle were a regular outing for us kids but.
The works was completely rebuilt between 1946 and 1952, to accommodate the rising demand for cement after the second world war, and was renamed the shoreham cement works. The site at shoreham is situated within the beeding chalk pit which. Shoreham cement works was completely rebuilt from 1948 to 1950 and closed in 1991. The coniacian is a stage of the late cretaceous epoch. Jlp0101 john laing photographic collection project albums. The list comprises of all known asylums in both england and wales, the scottish list is to come. Shoreham cement works, west sussex urbex behind closed. Alicja, paul, and i arrived on site at shoreham cement works well before dawn, making our way through the countryside and down into.
As for the cement factory, there is an abandoned cement factory on the road to steyning. Shoreham cement works limited free company information from companies house including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity. At the close of 1897 the works of the old shoreham cement company, situate at beeding, were acquired, the output of these works at that time being about 100 tons per week. In 1897 the site was taken over by sussex portland cement and was expanded considerably. Jlp0101029 shoreham cement works and eastwoods cement works, barrington. The site at shoreham is situated within the beeding chalk pit which has been used since the early nineteenth century. The mahurangi cement works near warkworth saw new zealands first manufacturing of portland cement in the 1880s. The book trail the stranger diaries the book trail. Development proposals for the sustainable mixed use development of land at the shoreham cement works site, as shown on the policies map, will be permitted provided they comply with core policies sd1sustainable development, sd2 ecosystem services, sd3 major development and other relevant policies of this local plan, and the criteria. In 1960, for example, the cement works received 7000 coal wagons, 2300 gypsum wagons and 100 wagons of general stores. Shoreham cement works parallel pipes evening light beams between the huge pipes factory lighting old factory light beam pipes cement beams abandoned it works industrial arnold song factory pipe.