Two complex banks of limekilns preserve evidence of the large quarrying and lime-burning industry that once operated beside East Calder.
Quick facts
- Date
- Late eighteenth to early nineteenth century development
- Architect / designer
- Builders not recorded
- Type
- Two ranges of multi-vent limekilns
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB7373)
- OS grid reference
- NT 09615 68365
Architecture and continuing use
The north range combines an infilled kiln with vent arches and a semicircular rear tunnel serving several vents. The south range has three kilns linked through central and rear tunnels. This arrangement allowed a substantial works to draw and manage several burning chambers.
Its story
Accounts studied by industrial archaeologists record alteration of an existing Raw Camps kiln and preparation for a second in 1794–95. An 1828 estate plan noted the farm, quarry, engine and limekilns. The surviving ranges were listed in 1971 after industrial activity had ceased.
Why it is included
They are direct fabric evidence for the extractive industry that drove East Calder’s nineteenth-century expansion and explain why mineral railways and the Camps Viaduct were built nearby.
What to notice
- Repeated draw or vent arches at the kiln bases.
- Rear tunnels connecting several working openings.
- The relationship between the masonry banks and quarried ground.
Reading the surroundings
Do not enter tunnels, climb kiln masonry or assume access across working or private land. View only from lawful routes and heed fencing or safety notices.
Timeline
- 1794–1795 Surviving accounts record widening of an existing kiln and preparation for a second at Raw Camps.
- 1828 An estate plan documented the farm, quarry, engine and limekilns.
- 22 January 1971 The surviving kiln ranges received Category B listing.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
HES does not assign a single construction year, and no claim is made that the structures are safe or publicly accessible at close range.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Raw Camps Lime Kilns, LB7373 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- National Records of Scotland: Kirknewton place record and Raw Camps plan — Archive catalogue evidence for the 1828 Raw Camps plan recording farm steadings, quarry, engine and limekilns.
- University of Glasgow: doctoral study of the Scottish lime industry — Research evidence for enlargement of the Raw Camps kilns and commercial lime production in 1794–95.
Location
OS grid reference NT 09615 68365 · Location confidence: High for the current HES designation point; Place assignment and access are separately qualified. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.