MDE21710 - Post-medieval lime kiln at Old Close Quarry (Monument)

A limekiln built against/into bank in bad state of repair. Originally square in shape but retaining walls in various states of collapse. Front retaining wall has completely collapsed, taking with it half of the combustion chamber, which is infilled with earth and rubble. [1] Old limekiln shown on 25 inch 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. [2,3] SS 70542 40838. The remains of a lime kiln near Old Close Quarry [4]. This lime kiln, which is now in a dilapidated state, is set into a steep slope on the northern bank of a stream opposite the Old Close Quarry and was accessed by a ramp from the north. The southern half of the kiln has collapsed (possibly robbed?) revealing part of the bowl (about 2.5 metres diameter and 2.5 metres deep) which appears to have been carved out of the rock face. Old Close Quarry was first used for stone in the late 18th Century and whilst quarrying a seam of limestone was uncovered and this was worked during the early 19th Century, hence the lime kiln. The cottage at 'Old Close', which dates from 1796, was the quarry manager's house [5]. The quarry was used for stone after the limestone was worked out but was stopped because of several bad rock collapses, evidence of which can be seen near the kiln. This lime kiln is shown, annotated 'Old Limekiln' on the 1889 Ordnance Survey map [2] so it must have been out of use by then. Surveyed at 1:2500. [6] The kiln is depicted and labelled on 2021 MasterMap data. [7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]