Closure of lime kiln
The Langdown Pot Kiln near Staveley prior to earthquake damage
There are two kilns at the Staveley site. The Langdown Pot kiln was extensively damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. It can now be safely viewed from behind a barrier. The Christchurch Lime Company kiln has a barrier fence near its top to keep visitors back from the edge.
About the kilns
The lime kilns of Staveley in mid-Canterbury are fascinating examples of a New Zealand industry at the turn of the last century. As well as being historically interesting, they are visually fascinating, with the rugged appearance of Norman Castle Towers in ruin.
The kilns are constructed from limestone quarried in the area, and as a result the kilns are an integral part of the local landscape.
Construction of the older of the two kilns was completed in 1897 by William Langdown. In 1896 Langdon leased 45 hectares near Staveley where he had struck a coal seam, and he used this coal to fire the kiln. The limestone was also sourced from nearby.
The second kiln was built by the Christchurch Lime Company in 1904. It is assumed that production was moved to the new kiln. This kiln was used until 1910.
The Langdown Pot Kiln showing earthquake damage
The burnt lime produced at Staveley was used for agriculture. It may have also been used in the building industry for mortar, putty and whitewash. The lime for the older kiln was, at the outset, quarried by hand, using picks.
Crushed limestone was fed into the top of the kilns. The burnt lime was dropped from the kiln into trucks on a tramway in a rectangular tunnel beneath the kilns. The burnt lime was bagged and weighed, then transported to the markets.
The heat while the lime was being burnt must have been intense, and with no proper ventilation in the tunnel, working conditions would have been difficult. There is a story told of a man falling into the Langdon kiln, and being burnt to death - all that remained was the nails from his boots.
Getting there
Staveley township is 1 hr 30 min from Christchurch, inland from Ashburton. The road to the kilns is signposted from Staveley, from state highway 72.
Walking access to the kilns is via a marked track which crosses private farmland.
The walking access starts at the carpark at the end of Boyds Road, behind the township of Staveley.
Follow the markers to both kilns from the carpark.
- Follow the markers to the Christchurch Lime Company kiln up the dirt vehicle road. Turn left at the first gate and go down the hill, until you see the kiln on your left.
- To reach the Langdown Pot Kiln, continue up the vehicle track over the stile and along the ridge following the markers. The pot kiln is to your left in the gully when you reach the end of the fence line.