Image ID: 41768

Bottle kilns

British Gypsum
Kingston on Soar
Nottinghamshire
England

Gypsum is a naturally occurring rock which, when ground to a powder and heated, loses most of its moisture. When mixed with water it forms a paste or 'slurry' which sets solid. This simple discovery has made gypsum one of the most useful and versatile building materials and forms the basis of a huge industry producing a wide range of building and medical products. In the Midlands there is a wide belt of gypsum stretching from Uttoxeter to Newark, which has been mined since Roman times. This is a view taken of the bottle kilns at Kingston on Soar. They are used for burning the gypsum. From East to West they are arranged in rows of 2, 3, 3, 1, totalling 9. This view shows the first row of three, looking North East. Note the stacks of paper sacks of plaster (right).

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Keywordsgypsumplasterfactoryindustryshedbarnbritishworkskilnhoppersacksfork-lifttrucklampgirder

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