Norton Limekilns

The two limekiln workers, one was the lorry driver, would set about filling the wheelbarrows with limestone. They would take it in turns to fill and empty their loads into the back of the lorry until it was full. This would take about half an hour and then the driver would take it away. About twenty minutes later another lorry would arrive, and the busy men would start again.The inlet where the lorries used to reverse in and out, was quite a wide area, which kept the working well of the road. When it was open in the day-time, I could see right through to the back. It was a very dark place inside, as there was no natural light and no electric light either.There was quite a lot of white, powdery dust created which sometimes blew on the nearby houses. When we came home from school in the afternoon, the double gates were closed and locked and everywhere had been swept clean, it looked as if nothing had been going on all day - but I knew differently.

In the evening a night watchman came on duty to make sure that everywhere was kept safe. He stood high up looking over the steep wall of the limekilns. It really looked as if he was guarding the whole of Mumbles, even the Castle as he was so high up. It gave us a feeling of being safe.