Limestone kiln fenced off over safety concerns

The kiln has served as a visitor attraction since it stopped burning lime

Temporary fencing has been put up around an historic lime kiln because of safety concerns.

The kiln at Llanymynech is one of only three remaining Hoffman Kilns in the country. It was used in the early years of the 20th century for the continual burning of lime and has since become a visitor attraction.

But Shropshire Council said a routine inspection had uncovered some "changes with the structure" which required further investigation.

The local authority said it would talk to Historic England about the need for repairs.

It added it had put up temporary fencing on the advice of a structural engineer who specialised in historic buildings.

James Owen, the councillor responsible for culture and leisure, said: "We know that fencing off the Kiln will come as a disappointment to many people, but it's something that we must do for safety reasons."

He said the council would look at whether temporary or permanent repairs were needed.

The authority said the kiln was built in 1899 and worked until 1914, with people working inside the structure "tolerating noise, dust and heat as they carried out their work".