Location:
- Grid reference: TA10263140
- x=510260
- y=431400
- 53°46'2"N; 0°19'43"W
- Civil Parish: Sutton on Hull, East Yorkshire
Clinker manufacture operational: 1889-1927
Approximate total clinker production: 1,130,000 tonnes
Raw materials:
- Middle Chalk (Welton Chalk Formation: 90-94 Ma) from Barton Cliff 500500,422250 (Barton upon Humber, Lindsey). In 1913, the Stoneferry Goods branch was opened and Hessle chalk was brought to a new rawmill across Stoneferry Road.
- Alluvial Clay from East Halton, Lindsey (515400,421200): from 1913 local alluvium from 510650,431450, and from 1918 alluvium from Barrow on Humber, Lindsey (505100,423400) by barge.
Ownership:
- 1889-1899 Hull Portland Cement Co.
- 1899-1903 Burstall and Co. Ltd
- 1903-1911 Robson’s Cement Co. Ltd
- 1911-1927 BPCM (G & T Earles) - Blue Circle
Formerly called Kingston Works, and frequently called Robson’s Works. The plant occupied the site of the windmill-driven Stoneferry Oil & Cake Mill, and probably continued using wind power initially. The site area was only 0.76 Ha, and was extremely crowded. There were originally six Johnson chamber kilns making 180 t/week. A second block of four kilns (125 t/week) was added in 1895, and a block of four Batchelor kilns (100 t/week) in 1898. Rotary kiln installation commenced in 1903, making space by demolishing the first chamber kiln block. Davis’ 1907 capacity of 800 t/week represented two rotaries and the second and third chamber kiln blocks. The chamber kilns were decommissioned by mid-1912. The plant was described in detail in the BPCM 1924 schedule. The closure of the plant corresponds with the development by the Earles organization of the Humber and Hope plants, the Stoneferry site being incapable of expansion and remote from its raw materials. The Robson’s brand remained in use in the north of England until the 1950s. The plant had water transportation using a wharf on the River Hull, and sidings on the North Eastern Railway were provided for the supply of chalk from Hessle. The site was completely cleared and is now a shopping area.
Power Supply
The plant was originally used wind power supplemented by steam engines. The rotary kilns were direct-driven by gas engine, but in 1913 the plant was electrified, supplied by the Wilmington power plant.
Rawmills
Washmills were originally used. With the use of hard Humberside chalk, a tube mill was installed. In 1913, this was relocated to a site east of Stoneferry Road (510555,431420) and slurry was pumped 250 m to the plant.
Three rotary kilns were installed:
Kiln A1 (later called 2)
Supplier: Polysius
Operated: 1903-1927
Process: Wet
Location: hot end 510261,431421: cold end 510237,431403: enclosed.
Dimensions: metric 30.00 × 2.000
Rotation (viewed from firing end): ?
Slope: ?
Speed: ?
Drive: ?
Kiln profile: 0×2000: 30000×2000: Tyres at 3500, 15000, 28000
Cooler: rotary: metric 10.00 × 1.000 beneath kiln
Cooler profile: 0×1000: 10000×1000: tyres at 1845, 8425
Fuel: Coal
Coal Mill: indirect: system shared by three kilns, probably originally Krupp ball & tube mill, replaced (1912?) by two 45 kW Bradley 3-roll mills
Exhaust: direct to stack.
Typical Output: 1903-1917 46 t/d: 1918-1927 50 t/d
Typical Heat Consumption: 1903-1917 11.5 MJ/kg: 1918-1927 9.5 MJ/kg
Kiln A2 (later called 3)
Operated: 1903-1927
Location: hot end 510265,431416: cold end 510241,431398: enclosed.
In all other respects identical to A1
Kiln A3 (called 1)
Operated: 1906-1927
Location: hot end 510259,431424: cold end 510234,431406: enclosed.
Dimensions: metric 30.18 × 2.000
Kiln profile: 0×2000: 30175×2000: tyres at 3500, 15000, 28042
In all other respects identical to A1
Sources:
- Primary Sources:
- Earle's Archive
- BPCM 1924 schedule
- The Pelican, July 1925; January 1951, p 1
- Aerial photography
- Ordnance Survey 1:2500 mapping
- BGS mapping and monographs
- Confirmatory Sources: