Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Nine Elms Works
Hob Uid: 416713
Location : Medway Cliffe and Cliffe Woods
Grid Ref : TQ7094076885
Summary : 19th century Portland cement works established by Francis and Company in 1866. One of the site engineers, C Michele, was responsible for introducing a number of innovations to the industry in the late 19th century, including a new cement testing machine and an improved design of chamber kiln, an example of which may survive at the works at West Street. There are substantial remains of a rectangular bank of nine bottle kilns.The structural remains of some of the cement works buildings were mapped from 1947 RAF aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project.
More information : [TQ 7086 7691] Grid reference based on Fig 2, Authority (1). The most significant survival of the Nine Elms Works is the remains of nine bottle kilns. There are sections of a wrought iron chimney scattered about the site of the works. Other artefacts on the site include a set of concrete edge rollers (presumably for crushing chalk), a millstone, a circular concrete base (possibly of an edge roller mill). There is also a single Lancashire boiler lying on the inland site of the works, not apparently in its original position. (1) Additional bibliography. (2) The works are located right on the edge of the Thames estuary, North of Cliffe Fort at TQ 7086 7691. A rectangular bank of 9 bottle kilns survive, of brick and concrete construction with a short off-centred access tunnel leading fro one side to the other. The tops of the kilns have been demolished but the lower part survive relatively well-preserved. Each kiln has a segmenta firebrick draw arch containing a single stoking arch. A number of settling tanks remain to the West and also an in situ boiler of uncertain function. To the East of the kilns are the foundations of other buildings including a crushing mill. A tramway connected the works with those at West Street. (3) The structural remains of some of the buildings associated with the Nine Elms Cement Works describe by the previous authorities were mapped from historic aerial photographs taken by the RAF in 1947. This was carried out as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. (4)

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Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : B Barnes and B Innes
Page(s) : 106-110
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Vol(s) : 75, 1984

Source Number : 2
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Source details : Indust Medway an Historical Survey 1977 174 (JM Preston)
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Lime Cement and Plaster, 2000, Kent 1b
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Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details : NMR RAF/CPE/UK/2065 4111 14-MAY-1947
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Built 1866
Monument End Date : 1866
Monument Start Date : 1866
Monument Type : Cement Works, Cement Kiln, Boiler House, Crushing Mill, Cooling Pond, Tramway
Evidence : Extant Building, Ruined Building, Structure, Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Kent)
External Cross Reference Number : TQ77NW 37
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : TQ 77 NW 37
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 2010-09-01
End Date : 2012-03-01

Historic England Research Records

Nine Elms Works