Lime kilns behind, 2 Ballylumford Road, Islandmagee, Larne, Co Antrim

These lime kilns, built between 1840 and 1859, represent a once-common type of industrial structure, though now typically derelict. The kilns are constructed from limestone and basalt rubble, forming a rectangular structure with four kiln openings on their south face. Each opening is framed by a rough limestone segmental outer arch and blackened brickwork for the inner arch. A portion of the parapet is missing, and the structure is now derelict. Situated in a rural location near the coastline, they are accessed by a track leading off the main road. The kilns were built for burning white limestone, or chalk, to produce a rough powder for various uses. They first appear on an Ordnance Survey map dated 1857. Records indicate the site’s industrial archaeological interest, although it is not formally listed. The kilns are located within the townland of Ballydown and remain in private ownership. References include the 1857 Ordnance Survey map of County Antrim and W.A. McCutcheon’s The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland.