Nine Elms Kilns

Nine Elms Cement Works was established in 1867 by the company Francis & Co.

Within the cements works were nine bottle kilns these being built between 1867-1868. Products such as Portland, Parian, Medina and Roman cement, Plaster of Paris, Portland Stucco and in addition chalk, flints and fire bricks were shipped from the site.

The works location near the river enabled transportation of its produce and there was also a small tramway for ease of transport.

The works received complaints from General Gordon who commanded the Thames Defences. The complaints were in regards to the fumes produced by the works having adverse effects on the soldiers stationed at the nearby fort. To rectify this issue a stack was installed.

With the subsequent construction of other plants within the area the cement works began being used for top up capacity and the manufacture of whiting. The works were taken over by APCM (this company is today known as Blue Circle) in 1900 due to the fact the works had been considered out of date and uneconomical although manufacture of whiting continued and it remained a cement dispatch point. By 1921 all cement based activities stopped although whiting manufacture continued into the 1930s.

Today the bank of 9 bottle kilns remains as well as other structures associated with the works.