Monument record MDR11742 - Lime kiln, Tides Low barrow, Tideswell

A deep pit, 1.3m deep, represents the remains of a lime kiln inserted into Tides Low bowl barrow. (1) The scheduled area of the Tides Low bowl barrow includes the site of a small limekiln which was built on the barrow in the 19th century. It was of the simplest type known locally as a 'pudding kiln' or 'pudding-pie'. This form consisted of a hollow which was layered with kindling, limestone and coal, covered with earth and turves and fired through a ventilation tunnel let into the site. When burning was complete, the top was broken open and the quicklime raked out to be used n the fields or for lining ponds. Such small kilns as these were usually constructed by the farmer requiring the lime and were quite often only used once. At Tides Low, coal and ash were found during excavation and the sub-circular form of the barrow is due in part to the east side of the mound being quarried for lime-burning. In the 20th century the remains of the kiln were adapted for use as a hen-hut of which no trace now remains. (2) The kiln was assessed as part of the Monuments Protection Programme. It was described as a small 19th century lime kiln within the scheduled area of a late Neolithic bowl barrow. The remains are indistinct and difficult to interpret, consisting of a gouge in the eastern half of the barrow. It was possibly a pye kiln. (3)