EPW017642 ENGLAND (1927). The Portland Cement Works, Northfleet, 1927

In the middle of the picture is dock row where my ancestors lived in the 19th century.

For details, history and many links, see [[http://www.cementkilns.co.uk/cement_kiln_bevans.html]].

Nice general view that I use on my website.

Picture of APCM's Bevans Cement Plant . The plant had been shut down in 1921 for a complete re-build, and the first of the three new kilns was lit up on 23/03/1926. When the third kiln was lit in the following August, it became Britain’s largest plant. A fourth kiln was installed at the end of 1928. The plant shut down in 1970 when it was replaced by the adjacent Northfleet plant. The original Bevans chalk quarry extended from the plant nearly to the High Street. Having been worked out at an early stage, quarrying then continued south of the High Street in successively more southerly pits. Chalk was brought to the plant through several tunnels under the High Street, one of which is clearly visible. With the uprating of the plant, raw materials were pumped to the plant as slurry, and the tunnel was no longer in constant use. The sites of several earlier cement plants, closed early in the century, are within this view. The Robins Cement Plant, founded by William Aspdin, was still largely intact. The original bank of bottle kilns is clearly visible. The most westerly of these (and the last built) is still in place today, under the shaky protection of a preservation order. It was constructed some time after William Aspdin left the plant.