Thursday 28th March

Accrington to Blackburn (photo 13 of 111)

Unusual structures at side of canal, brick kilns?

If you know what these are, please leave a comment, thanks.

9 Comments

7,928 Views

it is a house

Comment by nasif - 25th June 2009

its a kilns

Comment by nasif again - 25th June 2009

They are actually old coke ovens

Comment by Susan - 12th February 2010

It's a good place to sleep ;-)

Comment by Sasman Si - 10th May 2010

my dad used to work there, it was a coke oven. there are about eight in two banks of four. coake was delivered in bages and the coke removed the same way.

Comment by colin bell - 11th May 2011

I now live in the USA , but as a child I use to go to church Kirk school and once played truent there as kids we use to call them the fairy caves, Billy aspen the headmaster of the school hunted us down there. This was around 1958. but I believe Collin is right they where coke ovens.

Comment by Trevor Carley - 4th May 2014

We always thought, and were told they were lime kilns, but I now bow to bettter localised information and agree to coke.

Comment by lance travis - 27th August 2014

Banks of coke ovens site of Aspen Colliery

Comment by David Rogers - 22nd March 2015

These coke ovens are on the site of former Aspen Colliery which is listed as a Scheduled Monument. Coal was dug from the Lower Mountain seam and processed into coke before shipping off by canal. Its interesting that Colin's dad remembers coal being brought by boat to be turned into coal. The colliery closed around 1930 and it is possible that the coke ovens continued producing coke after coal mining was no longer profitable on site. I would be keen to hear from Colin if has any other recollections from his dad on the site. Some limited funding has been secured (WREN) to remove vegetation from the "Fairy Caves" and implement urgent works to the coke oven structures. Coal mining and coke production are another important element of Accrington's history as a key industrial centre which stretches far beyond cotton weaving.

Comment by VP - 23rd October 2015

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