Buxton Lime Firms was an amalgamation of seventeen quarries, BLF owned 1522 acres of land, 89 lime kilns (including 2 Hoffmans), 21 large stone crushers and 3 collieries. They produced 360,000 tons limestone and 280,000 tons lime per year and dominated the industry in Derbyshire. Between 1895 and 1915 a further nine quarries were either started or bought and a lime kiln building program started.
By 1918 Brunner Mond's dependence on the limestone from BLF was so great that they bought a controlling interest in the firm. This was converted to total ownership in 1926 and all their businesses were merged to form I.C.I.
Development of the quarry at Tunstead started in 1929 with the excavation of three cuttings in the valley side for access to the planned works. These were completed in 1932 and in 1935 the first three Patent Lime Kilns were commissioned and fed by stone from the now developing quarry. As production at Tunstead increased the smaller, less efficient quarries were closed down or switched to stone production only.
(http://www.urbanography.org.uk/)
By 1918 Brunner Mond's dependence on the limestone from BLF was so great that they bought a controlling interest in the firm. This was converted to total ownership in 1926 and all their businesses were merged to form I.C.I.
Development of the quarry at Tunstead started in 1929 with the excavation of three cuttings in the valley side for access to the planned works. These were completed in 1932 and in 1935 the first three Patent Lime Kilns were commissioned and fed by stone from the now developing quarry. As production at Tunstead increased the smaller, less efficient quarries were closed down or switched to stone production only.
(http://www.urbanography.org.uk/)
Last edited:
