Ardwick Lime Works

in Ardwick, Manchester

1794 Advert: 'ARDWICK LIME WORKS.
The demand for this Lime, the last year, having been so considerable as to frequently and unavoidably occasioned numbers of carts to depart without their load — the Proprietors of the said works respectfully assure the public, that they hare so extended their works, and have adopted such regulations, that their customers may depend on having their carts in future, loaded without delay.
The low price fixed upon Lime (being only 13 pence for ten pecks) its known utility as a manure, and its well approved admirable property of cementing in the firmest manner under water, encourage the proprietors to solicit with confidence, the favors of the public, particularly Farmers — the undertakers of Canals and of Builders in general.
N. B. The Kilns are now lighted, and any quantity of Lime may be had immediately.
Cisterns undertaken to be built.'

1829 Advert: 'WANTED to PURCHASE, a SECOND-HAND STEAM ENGINE, not less than Eleven Horses' power, not above Fourteen. For further particulars inquire (letters postpaid) Jasper Hulley, Ardwick Lime Works, near Manchester.'

1846 'Savage Brutality —A tall and powerfully built man, of middle age, named John Mellor, foreman at the Ardwick Lime Works, appeared at the Borough Court on Thursday, charged before Messrs. Maude, Townend, and Birt, with a most savage and cruel assault upon little boy, about ten years of age, who, added to the misfortune of belonging to poor, but honest and industrious parents, was, to use the words of his mother, "not quite as sharp as he should be."
The following are the facts of the case, as appeared by the evidence. The boy, George Frout, the son of a dyer at Smedley Works, had, whilst out at play, on that day week, ventured into field occupied by Mellor's master, in pursuit of a butterfly, and because the field in question had been trespassed on before, and it had been found necessary to station a person to watch, this poor child, "not quite as sharp as should be," had (when caught) to receive the punishment earned, and no doubt deserved, by older and bigger offenders. This punishment it fell to Mr. John Mellor's lot to administer, and the way in which it was effected would, if known at the Horse Guards, ensure his appointment as flogger-general to the British army. How many lashes the poor boy received, whether fifty or a hundred, there was no witness to tell, but his back (when exhibited to the bench on the day punishment was inflicted) displayed the serried strokes of the lash as thick a man's finger. These marks, on inspection in court on Thursday, had disappeared, but in their place appeared mass of discoloured flesh, exhibiting nearly all the hues of the rainbow. The prisoner (in comparison to his victim, a Goliath to David) did not attempt to deny the charge, but screened his brutality behind "his duty to his master, "the damage done by trespassers," &c. &c, and by stating that he had warned the boy off the ground four times that morning. He had, he said, lost his patience, and had beaten the child "with this" (producing a thick hard leather thong out of his pocket, about three quarters of a yard long, and as hard as an oak sapling )— Mr. Maude said the boy's back, when he first saw it, was in a sad state, and it was evident that he had been guilty of violence, such as he was not authorised to commit; had he chastised the lad in a proper way, it might have had the desired effect, but under any circumstances he was not justified in resorting to the violence of which he had been guilty. No doubt he (Mellor) had been provoked, after having warned the boy away before, but the course he had pursued was not proper one — The bench then consulted for a short time, and what does the reader imagine was their decision? Not a penalty of 50s or 20s., or even 5s.,— but the man was actually allowed to escape on paying the expenses of the warrant, and receiving an admonition, which no doubt had due effect, to mind better in future! - We are seldom disposed to cavil with any sentence passed Mr. Maude, but really the punishment in the above case appears so monstrously inadequate to the enormity of the man's offence, that we cannot pass over it without expressing our surprise at its apparent injustice.'

1848 Advert: 'ARDWICK LIME.— Present price 8 1/2 per cwt. cash, at the kiln; 9d. credit account. A constant Supply fresh in the kiln always on hand. These are the original Ardwick Lime Works, the Proprietors of which are unconnected with any other lime burners or dealers.
WM. MELLOR, Agent, Lime-kiln Lane, Pin Mill Bridge, Ancoats, Sept. 30, 1848.'

1877 'At the Ardwick limestone mine six persons were employed below ground, and five above ground, all being males above 18 years of age. The quantity of limestone sold, treated, or used was 4,424 tons, being for making hydraulic lime.'

1967 'THE LIMESTONE TREASURE OF ARDWICK
YOUR recent articles on the mysterious tunnels at Ardwick have been very interesting. These notes may be the answer.
At the birth of the Manchester canal system in the 1750s, James Brindley in constructing the Duke of Bridgewater’s canal at Worsley discovered a bed of limestone near Worslev Hall which proved of immense value in making good mortar for bricks in his bridges, culverts and aqueducts, warehouses and wharves and linings. It was particularly valuable then as the nearest available quarried limestone lay in Peak District, Clitheroe, or North Wales which meant costly transport.
In prospecting for early Manchester coal in the Bradford, Clayton, Ardwick areas about 1790 miners discovered a thick and valuable deposit of limestone ideal for building purposes in Ardwick. Trial shafts were sunk and proving tunnels were driven and from that time until about 1845 Ardwick limestone was mined on a large scale (by which company I cannot trace).
Used chiefly for canal works it also found its home in thousands of Manchester dwelling-houses and quite likely many houses still exist in the area held together with Ardwick limestone from mines. Special canal wharves in the city centre were retained solely for the export of Ardwick limestone, particularly on the Rochdale and Ashton canals near Dale Street and on the site of what is now Piccadilly railway station.
All these mine shafts may be traced (with the associated lime-burning kilns on the surface) on old large-scale and six-inch geological maps of the Manchester city area dated 1844-1850, published by the Ordnance Survey The extent of the workings depths etc may be seen in the Geological Survey memoir "The Geology the Manchester District” (1932) HMSO and six-inch maps published for use in this memoir. Also the shaft names on locations and extent of workings are scheduled by the "Abandoned Mines Catalogue”, HMSO, 1928. All these are now out of print but may be seen in Manchester Reference Library’s local history collection.
Jim Beckett (Ex-Mancunian)'

See here for a description of the workings.

The 1849 O.S. map here shows limestone pit shafts, kilns, tramroads, and 'The Engine & Pumping Pit of the Ardwick Lime Works'.

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