NU1341 : Above the kilns
taken 5 years ago, near to Holy Island, Northumberland, England
Holy Island is a small Island off the coast of Northumberland. It is cut off from the mainland by tides on a daily basis. The island has a long and rich history stretching back to Anglo-Saxon times. The island possesses both a priory and castle. Website: Link
This bank of six kilns was built in 1860 by Dundee merchant William Nicholl, and represent a fairly late development of the traditional style of masonry kiln. The lime would have specifically been intended for transport to Scotland by boat, and the coal for them may well have been brought down from that area, rather than being locally sourced, as a form of ballast. The kilns only remained in use until around 1900 when they became uneconomic in comparison with more modern locations with rail transport available.
They remain one of the best preserved sets in the country, with very little decay to either the pots or the galleries where the lime was extracted from the pots. There are one longitudinal and three transverse galleries giving access to the drawholes, as well as drawholes on the seaward face of the bank. The central gallery has a distinctive gothic arch profile.
The kilns fall within the area of National Trust land surrounding the Castle, and are a Scheduled Monument rather than a Listed Building. Link
Lindisfarne Castle sits on a rocky crag created by a dyke associated with the intrusion of the Whin Sill. Originally a Tudor fort, it was converted into a private house in 1903 by the young Edwin Lutyens. Now managed by the National Trust.