Building materials

Tegral Building Products Ltd. has been based at Athy since it was founded in 1936. The works alongside the Barrow Line of the Grand Canal is well known for the range of artificial slates that are manufactured there. The company also specialises in cladding and flooring materials as well as a range of roofing sheets and tiles.

Open day at the Hanson (Heidelberg) cement works at Clitheroe. Seen here in front of the preheater for the kiln is class 60 024 "Clitheroe Castle".

Meat and bone meal forms a significant portion of the fuel used in the kiln and preheater at Clitheroe cement works. Clearly sensible precautions need to be taken when in contact with this material.

Pipework at the side of the preheater tower at the Hanson/Heidelberg cement works at Padeswood.

Part of the control room at the Hanson/Heidelberg cement works at Clitheroe. The left ceiling mounted screen is showing the flame in the kiln.

Sandaoling cement works in the deserts of western China. The coal for the works is supplied from the vast opencast mine nearby.

At the recent Hope Cement open day the site tours went up to the quarry but did not include a look inside the crusher building. This is a view from a previous visit looking down into the giant gyratory crusher with its attendant breaker arm for removing jams. The reflection is off the window through which the shot had to be taken.

The former locomotive shed still stands at the Hanson/Heidelberg cement works at Padeswood. Coal is still delivered to the site by rail, but this is shunted using the main line locomotives.

South Ferriby works was built in by 1938 by Eastwoods Humber Cement.The first chalk was dug by hand and transported by bucket conveyor to the works and the clay was excavated from behind the works and transported on a narrow gauge railway system. The works was commissioned by three German engineers, who were called home due to the outbreak of World War II before their work was completed. Rugby Portland Cement Co.Ltd bought out Eastwoods Humber Cement in 1962 and installed a new kiln and conveyor. There are now two kilns in operations at South Ferriby: Numbers 2 and 3. The original kiln Number 1 was sold to a company in Jamaica following the works' first major plant upgrade in 1968. Today the South Ferriby works is operated by Cemex UK. It produces in the region of 800,000 tonnes of cement per annum and employs nearly 150 people.

Cement clinker store at the South Ferriby Cement Works. The works is operated by Cemex UK. It produces in the region of 800,000 tonnes of cement per annum and employs nearly 150 people.

Discharge equipment at the base of the shaft kiln at the disused Cimenterie Delwart, Tournai.

The 95 metre preheater tower of the cement works at Padeswood near Mold is a significant modern local landmark. Meanwhile traditional semaphore signalling continues to feature on the adjacent railway.

If you want ready-mixed concrete in Sheffield then this is the place to come to. Hope Construction Materials operate this plant on Harvest Lane, close to the city centre. The mixing tower incorporates a large Braithwaite tank adjacent to the cement silo.

The surviving Porthleven kiln was erected c1814 alongside Breageside Wharf and in 1816 184 tons of Plymouth limestone were delivered to the harbour. Harvey & Co of Hayle took over the harbour in 1853 and also developed the trade from the kiln. In 1870 895 tons of stone was burned and this continued into the 20th century. It finally ceased to be used in 1920. The kiln is unusual in Cornwall as it is round in shape and has flat lintels over the draw tunnels rather than arches. Local historians led a restoration of the kiln which is now in good order

The base of the preheater tower at Padeswood cement works is a mass of dust extraction pipework. Part of the Heildelberg Group, the business is currently operated as Hanson Cement.

One of two 1975 built GEC Traction locomotives stands at the Hanson owned Ribblesdale Cement Works at Clitheroe stands close to the end of the headshunt at the works.

Heidelberg owned cement works near Mold, North Wales. The No.4 kiln replaced three earlier ones and cost £63 million. It is 65 metres long with a 95 metre preheater tower that feeds in raw materials. Alternative fuels to be used at Padeswood include Cemfuel, which is processed from the residue of recycled waste solvents, and Profuel, which comprises paper and plastic wastes. Vehicle tyres can also be used as an alternative fuel.

Dust extraction and preheater tower at the Hanson (Heidelberg) cement works at Clitheroe. The chimney at the top was at an angle due to storm damage.