Willington

Location:

Clinker manufacture operational: 2/1870-3/1912

Approximate total clinker production: 510,000 tonnes

Raw materials:

Ownership:

Sometimes called Tyne Works. The primary product of the company was emery grindstones, and cement was a sideline: it was not used as an ingredient in its process, the emery being set in a “metallic composition”. It started up with four wet process bottle kilns (120 t/week). This extended to ten (300 t/week) by 1881, after which seven of them were converted to chamber format around 1886. In 1888, a further six kilns were added, at which time the remaining bottle kilns were abandoned. A further two chamber kilns were added in 1899, and this must have continued to 1907, giving Davis’ capacity estimate of 450 t/week . The plant was shown in the 1910 directory, but not in that of 1916: it seems to have shut down with the BPCM takeover in 1912, and although it remained in place for many years, it never resumed activity.

Power supply

The plant was entirely direct-driven by steam engine.

Rawmills

The type of rawmills is unrecorded.

No rotary kilns were installed.


Sources: