Geograph - photograph every grid square

The cement works commenced operation in 1937 as Ribblesdale Cement, but with links to several other major cement manufacturing sites. Consolidation of these led to the renaming as Castle Cement in 1986 the name based on the Ribblesdale Castle brand of cement. Castle Cement passed to the current owning group, Heidelberg Cement in 1999, forming part of the Hanson group section since 2009. Hanson Cement is the current brand name although the Castle Cement branding was still in place on some vehicles in 2015.

The works was the last to construct a wet process kiln, in 1976. This was a huge kiln, 167 metres in length, and ran until 2005, being discontinued as a result of Heidelberg's 'no wet kilns' policy. (Wet kilns are much less energy efficient than dry kilns.) The present single dry kiln (No.7) came into use in 1983. For more information see Dylan Moore's excellent website Link

Many of the pictures attached to this description were taken in the course of a formal visit in May 2015.A feature of this visit was the leaning chimney on the precalciner tower, caused a short time earlier by high winds. A replacement was on order but in the meantime it was found safe to continue operation with the damage.