Cliffe Cement Works - Cliffe History

North Kent was the centre of experimentation and innovation, and that with its advantages in the form of raw materials, cheap water transport and markets; it became the leading centre of production of Roman and Portland cement.

The need for a strong reliable cement increased due to the escalating engineering works from the late 18th century onwards.

James Parker, in 1796, patented what became known as Roman cement. This was a ‘natural’ cement made from chalk and clay in approximately the right proportions, which, when broken and fired in a kiln at 900 to 1200 degrees centigrade, and ground to a powder with mill stones and sieved, produced a strong cement.

The ‘cement stones’ were initially obtained from the Sheppey shore, the Essex coast and by dredging between.

Parker produced Roman cement at Northfleet, his works quickly passing into the hands of the Wyatts, and in 1846 to Maude, Jones and Joseph Aspdin.

As soon as Parker’s patent ran out in 1810 the Roman cement industry spread along the Thames and elsewhere in the country where the ‘cement stones’ were available. Due to the limited availability of the ‘cement stones’, experiments continued to create an ‘artificial’ cement.

In 1822 James Frost patented ‘British’ cement, which he produced at Swanscombe from 1825.

In 1824 Joseph Aspdin of Leeds patented ‘Portland’ cement with a process which appeared to involve slaking lime before adding clay, but otherwise similar to Frost’s process.

However, this early cement was not a fully reliable product as it was not produced at a high-enough temperature to be the real forerunner of modern Portland Cement and it wasn’t until the mid 1800’s when Aspdin's son William, in 1843, made an improved version of this cement and he initially called it "Patent Portland cement" although he had no patent.

In 1848 William Aspdin further improved his cement and in 1853 he moved to Germany where he was involved in cement making.

In 1845, I.C. Johnson, the works manager at J B White, Swanscombe, utilised vitrified clinker to make a superior cement by firing a mixture of chalk and clay at much higher temperatures (1400C-1500C) , similar to those used today.

Both lay claim to being the first to create Portland cement with Joseph being accepted as the first to manufacture a type of Portland cement. It is, however, Issac Johnson who used the same components as we do today only differing by failing to utilise the three important developments for Portland Cement of today. That is to say the addition of gypsum to control setting, the use of ball mills to grind clinker and the development of rotary kilns.

Further downstream from The Pottery, along Cliffe Creek,   Francis & Co. established a new cement works in 1867. The   previous year Francis & Co negotiated a lease for some 15   acres of land for a tramway and wharf on land between the   Creek and the MOD (War Department).

Alfred Francis,   the founder of the company, died in 1871 but his sons,   Charles Larkin and Alfred, carried on the family connection   and continued to produce 'Portland, Roman, Medina, and   Parian cement, Portland stucco and Plaster of Paris', also   shipping chalk, flints and fire bricks, from the site. In   1881, Alfred Francis, owner of the Nine Elms works across   Cliffe Creek, appears to have acquired an acre of land near   the old pottery, possibly to establish a public house - he   is listed in 1882 as a beer retailer.

The riverside   location provided ease of transport and wharves were duly   built at the mouth of Cliffe creek. A canal was constructed   from the works, which gave its name to a tavern built   nearby, now long demolished but remembered as the Canal   Tavern.

1870-1 saw further developments to the cement   works, which were rebuilt and extended, with an elaborate   tramway Methods of extracting the chalk were basic,   involving the labourer being suspended by a rope (around his   waist) secured at the cliff top, from which position he   would hack out the chalk, so that it fell to the ground   below to be collected in a waiting railway wagon.

1886 Francis & Co. amalgamated with Johnson Whiting and   Empson, Holcombe & Co. to operate under one single ownership   as Francis Co. Ltd. At the turn of the century Francis & Co   Ltd. joined the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers   (APCM): the forerunner of Blue Circle.

It was at this   time that the cement works at Nine Elms started to close   down.

During its operation it began with nine bottle kilns to   which a further ten were added. The kiln block of 1866-8 can   still be seen today together with a grinding mill base a   possible prototype for the Johnson chamber kiln.

The quarry was already in existence for use by the Cliffe   Creek Whiting Works and comprised of a range of kilns.

It   was owned by I.C. Johnson & Co. between 1874 & 1886 and then   by Francis & Co. until the turn of the century. From 1900 to   1921 it was owned by APCM (Blue Circle).

The plant was   built to replace the Cliffe Creek site which Johnson sold to   Empson, Holcombe and Co.

There were sixteen chamber   kilns. During the period 1874-1886, a total of nine Michele   chamber kilns were built in the south part of the site,   which was owned by Francis. After the rest of the plant was   purchased by Francis, a further six kilns were added to the   northern block in 1898.

After closure, the whiting   plant, on the creek opposite the old works, continued in   operation.

Much of the original site was built over   by an oil depot.

The Thames Portland Cement Company started constructing   cement works to the south of the Quarry in 1910, with   production commencing in 1912-3 with one rotary kiln, and a   tramway to a jetty adjacent to Cliffe fort. A second rotary   kiln was added in 1926.

During the digging for mud in the mid 1930's, apart from   some concern raised by The Kent Rivers Catchment Board due   to the close proximately to the sea walls, much in the way   of important archaeological finds were cast aside or   completely destroyed.

It is here that it is strongly   believed that the Saxon settlement of Herodham was located,   as well as a Roman settlement, as it was here that finds of   a Roman alter and yet another Roman cemetery, comprising a   number of inhumations together with several cremation urns   were uncovered.