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Good news about the Smardale lime kilns. These industrial scale lime kilns are a scheduled ancient monument and until very recently were on the register of monuments at risk due to their deteriorating condition. Work has been done through 2023 to repair and stabilise the structures, with a firm from Richmond doing most of the work. Some 30 tonnes of mortar has been injected into the structures between the outer and inner stonework, whilst there has also been the removal of loose stones from inside the firing bowls, repointing the exterior and removal of vegetation. The site is owned by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust and work has been done in co-operation with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. The kilns initially provided mortar for the construction of the nearby Smardale viaduct, but after the opening of the railway, lime was also taken to Barrow and Darlington for use in the iron and steel industry. The recent work on the kilns should ensure that they last for another century or two.