Bill Moffat, of Natland, recalls his 45 years of lime spreading

I started spreading when I was 18 years old. My father had just started spreading for Pennington’s Lime Quarries. They were situated on Brigsteer Road, Kendal.

Bricks were made there and they had three lime kilns for burning lime, some of which was sent by road and rail to the steel works in the North East.

Kibble Lime was limestone which was burnt and crushed; some was cob (big lumps) and some kibble - this was finer screened and spread on the fields by a spreader. Cob Lime was also used on the land but this was carted to the field and left in heaps to sleek out when it was then spread by hand.

When I was spreading Kibble Lime in wet weather I also wore a scarf or an old towel around my neck to stop the lime running down and burning me. Ground Limestone was not burned, but ground up fine by a crusher and used for spreading by a spreader.

We spread for various quarries, such as Station, near Barrow; Ribble Head, Ingleton; ARC Shap; New Northern Quarries, Sandside; Wimpeys Carnforth and Back Lane, Carnforth.

Magnesium Lime was lime with the addition of mineral. This stopped the staggers in animals and came from County Durham and was very soft limestone.

We also spread basic slag. Some came direct and some out of store at Knock (Cragg and Cutress), Crosby Garrett (T R Handley), Ramsdens of Penwortham. Slag from Cargo Fleet, Lackenby Steel Works, Peterlee, County Durham was low grade.

We spread lime for various local firms: Bradshaws, Kirkby Lonsdale; Lunesdale Farmers; C & W Farmers, Ramsdens of Preston; West Cumberland Farmers; C W Dockray Limes, Kendal; Jordans of Kendal and Brunskill and Farrers. There are not many of these firms left.