Well preserved square lime kiln, depicted on County Series Ordnance Survey mapping. The limekiln has three main elevations facing north, east and south; the west face is shelved into the hillslope. The lime kiln faces east, out across the natural harbourage of North Haven, Skomer. The kiln is built of local stone sourced from the island, with cast iron lintels above the three main stoke holes. Davies (1997: 45) considers this to be the later of the two lime kilns on the island.

One of two quite large nineteenth century lime kilns on the Island (see also NPRN 411752). Lime was important on the island both to be used as mortar for the buildings and to spread on the land as a fertilizer, the volcanic rocks of the Island not giving rise to a naturally fertile soil. Limestone (and coal) would have been imported from the mainland, landed on the beach at North Haven and then moved to the kilns where it would be heated. The intense heat changed the rock, making in brittle and easy to crush to a fine powder ready for use.

Sources Include:

Cadw Listed Building 19406: https://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=&id=19406

Davies, P. 1997. Pembrokeshire Limekilns, St Davids: Merrivale.

Dyfed Historic Environment Record: https://archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/report/page.php?watprn=DAT16183

History of Skomer Island -The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, NJR 07/10/2010

T. Driver, RCAHMW, 6th Sept 2010.

J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, June 2024.