The Archaeology of Cambridgeshire’s Cement Industry
About the presentation
From neolithic flint mining to 19th-century coprolite prospecting, geological deposits have given rise to many regional industries over the centuries. However, it is the occurrence of marl, chalk and limestone that gave rise to Cambridgeshire’s cement industry in the 1880s. From Meldreth in the southwest of the county to Burwell in the northeast, the industry developed rapidly and reached its zenith in the first decades of the 20th century. With the closure of Barrington Quarry in 2008, the last cement production site in Cambridgeshire, the industry came to a gentle end. Though the plant, excavation equipment and rail systems associated with industrial cement manufacturing have mostly disappeared, telltale signs can still be found in the landscape.
This talk will explore the historical and archaeological traces of this industry and follow the process of manufacturing Portland cement from quarry to kiln.
About the speaker
Kieran Gleave has a degree in Archaeology (2019) from the University of Chester and an MPhil in Heritage Studies (2022) from the University of Cambridge. He is currently undertaking his PhD at the University of Cambridge, where his research explores how communities in de-industrialised areas draw from the industrial past to construct or re-negotiate their identities. He has research interests in industrial heritage and archaeology, particularly in the areas of communities, museums and environmental sustainability.
Admission information
The talk will take place in the Pye Building at Cambridge Museum of Technology. Entrance on the night is via the Museum’s Cheddars Lane gate on Cheddars Lane.
Tickets for the talk are available :
on the door for £5 a head, £3 for students. Members and Volunteers of Cambridge Museum of Technology can attend for free.
There will be free light refreshments courtesy of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE)
About Cambridge Industrial Archaeology Group (CIAG)
CIAG organises a programme of talks on industrial heritage at Cambridge Museum of Technology. Talks usually take place at 7.30pm on the second Monday of each month. For further information about Cambridge Industrial Archaeology Group contact Robin Chandler robin.chandler@btinternet.com
Cambridge Museum of Technology is the home of Cambridge’s industrial heritage.
For further information on the Museum contact: info@museumoftechnology.com