Six Victorian, stone-built lime kilns on a 2.5-acre site in County Durham are going under the hammer later this month with a guide price of just £5000.

The kilns were a common feature until the 19th century fuelled commonly by coal, wood, or peat to turn limestone rock into lime, a significant resource used to bind stonework, improve soil fertility and whitewash buildings.

Consett land and lime kilnsConsett land and lime kilns (Image: PUGH)

The now dilapidated kilns at Annfield Plain, near Consett, were originally constructed in 1835 for the Stanhope and Tyne Railway, deriving fuel from nearby coal mines.

Following the railway company going bankrupt, the Derwent Iron Company of Consett purchased them in 1842, though production ceased proactively around 1850.

The 2.5 acre site in Annfield PlainThe 2.5 acre site in Annfield Plain (Image: PUGH)

These days, the kilns, nestled on a plot of grassland, are set for auction, accessible by foot from National Cycle Route 7 and immediately adjacent to the A693.

Auctioneer Pugh, orchestrating the online property auction, has Director Edward Feather saying: "This is a really interesting site that is steeped in the industrial heritage of the North East.

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"Restrictions mean it can be developed for recreational use only, but there are all sorts of innovative ways in which this hectare of land could be developed within those guidelines."

Mr Feather anticipates a fascinating result and added: "It would be great to see how it can be repurposed to become an asset to the local area once again."

The auction, including over 100 properties and land plots, is scheduled for September 18 on the Pugh's Auctions website.