Portland cement works, operated by Frost among others dating at least from c1833 on a site likely to have been used since the Roman era for lime burning. Traces of a bank of kilns probably dating from Frost's time have been found on site during redevelopment. The works were taken over by a partnership of Knight, Bevan and Sturge in 1851-3. By 1869 there were 17 kilns, 8 wash mills, slurry backs 500 feet by 120 feet and drying flats of 150 x 75 feet. John Knight lived at Hive House. In 1876 Thomas Bevan became sole owner. The quarry was south of Northfleet linked by a two feet eight and a half inch gauge tramway with a tunnel under the higher ground. The works became part of APCM in 1900 and were rebuilt 1903-7 and again in 1926-7 when it was equipped with the then largest size of rotary kiln. Chalk was moved to the works as a slurry by puimps, although by now there was a standard gauge rail link. Latterly the works has been operating a battery of more modern rotary kilns. Site likely to be cleared for development. (1,2)

The buildings at the site and a concise history of the different names and faces of the cement works various other structures in and around the site is given in a Building Recording Report by Karl Hulka and Ignus Froneman formerly of CgMs Consulting. (3)

Location accurate to 2m based on available information.

<1> Jim Preston Personal Communication (Verbal communication). Ske13236.

<2> Jim Preston Personal Communication (Verbal communication). SKE13236.

<3> CgMs Consulting, 2011, Building Recording Report. The Lafarge Cement Works, Northfleet, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE30919.