The Lime YardsLimestone quarrying on this site was first recorded documented properly on the 14th October 1462, although there is evidence to suggest the earliest operations took place from 1411.The site was originally leased to small operators in individual plots to be quarried and it carried on like this until becoming more integrated into larger concerns during the 17th & 18th Century.In the 1760's the Harpur family of nearby Calke Abbey expanded the yards by adding several modern (at the time) Limekilns which by all accounts were only operated during summer.Given the larger outputs from the yard the decision was taken to connect to the Ashby Canal by a Tramway (Plateway type), See Ticknall Tramway [url]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Ticknall-Tramway/?gowhere=%2fmines%2f%3fpID%3d1%3fpid%3d1%26ac%3dA%26ad%3d50[/url] />This opened in 1802 giving the works a greater customer base and hence higher outputs from the yards. The down side of this being there were fewer and fewer pockets of limestone to be worked. At the start of the 19th century the Ticknall Limeyards were operated by two different classes of people, namely freeholders and tenants. Some of the freeholders in the parish had their own limeyards while others were worked by tenants for the Harpur-Crewe and Burdett families. As the century progressed the freeholders went bankrupt for various reasons while the tenants of the Harpur-Crewe family gave up because of the high rents charged and general mismanagement of the limeyards. By 1857 most of the yards were leased to the Ticknall Lime Co by the Harpur-Crewe family but by now serious decline was evident and by 1913 most of the yards and the Tramway were disused. Some work was continued for estate purposes but this finished during 1940.The Lime Yards are now an SSSI and can be walked on a number of paths across the site which thread around the now wooded site.There are several limestone pits and two excellent internal tramway bridges as well as several Kilns in the area of 'Sir Henry Harpur's Yard', it is hoped these will be given scheduled monument status as these are the best kilns on site dating from the 18th & 19th century period hence covering the industrial revolution. There are other earlier kiln sites in the yards but these are felt by some to be beyond salvation.
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Ticknall Lime Yards Limestone Quarry was served by:
Ticknall Mixed Tramway
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