Draw holes

There are four very large draw kilns at the Cowdale limeworks near Buxton. This view is taken inside one of the two draw tunnels, each of which served two kilns. The burned lime was drawn out of the kiln across these screening boxes into which the ashes and small pieces fell, leaving the cleaner large lumps to be loaded into railway wagons outside.

Cowdale Quarry was opened by the New Buxton Lime Co c1901. The company was taken over by the Buxton Lime Firms in 1908 and eventually became part of the ICI empire. The quarry and works closed in 1956 but many of the structures have remained in increasing decrepitude.