Rainham

New Rainham Peacock Brand cement logo New Rainham Peacock Brand, 1890s.

Location:

Clinker manufacture operational: 1881-1902

Approximate total clinker production: 150,000 tonnes

Raw materials:

Ownership:

Not to be confused with the British Standard plant at Rainham, Kent. There was nothing here on the 1867 map. There is no chalk nearby, but septaria-bearing clay outcrops on both sides of the Thames at this point, and it may be that it was originally founded in the 1870s to make Roman Cement. The lease commenced 25/6/1872. The initial company was wound up in 1883 and the plant was auctioned by the liquidator on 24/10/1883, when it was said to be a going concern, making 120 tons per week, with "brick-built engine, boiler and millhouses, kilns and drying floors, stores, workshops and offices". There were five wet process bottle kilns in 1884, and eight (210 t/week) by 1891, when the plant was put up for sale on 11/2/1891. The equipment was described as:

a substantially-erected landing wharf about 150 ft long, large brick-built engine and boiler houses, a lofty brick-built mill house, two spacious brick-built cement warehouses, eight 26-ton kilns, concrete- and brick-built drying floors, clinker shed, testing room, blacksmiths' shop, offices, and other erections, together with the valuable modern fixed plant and machinery consisting of a 60 NHP Atlas horizontal mill engine, 3 double-flue Lancashire boilers, Tangye's patent steam pump, grinding mill with three pairs of French burr stones, elevator and a 6 ft Askham patent separator, a Blake's patent improved stone crusher, two sets of elevators and distributing gear, 2-ton and 1½ tonne steam cranes, weighing machines, and various other appliances requisite for the business.

The liquidation of the old company in 1892 was due to its association with J S Balfour's failed building society. The kilns were replaced by the new company, in 1895, with ten chamber kilns. Total capacity 240 t/week. After the APCM takeover, there was no point keeping a plant with no chalk quarry, and it was promptly shut. All its transport was by water. It was still standing in 1923, but as a prime riverside site, it was eventually redeveloped, and is currently occupied by a waste management facility.

Power supply

The plant had a single 60 HP steam engine operating both raw- and finish mills.

Rawmills

No information

No rotary kilns were installed.


Sources: