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Kelp Kiln, Moyle is a eighteenth-century industrial structure built upon bedrock of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, mafic lava and tuff formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. The kiln represents the height of the kelp industry, which flourished along the northern Irish coast during the 1700s. Seaweed harvested from local shores was burned in such kilns to produce kelp, a valuable alkaline substance used in glass-making, soap production and bleaching.
The kiln's construction would have exploited the underlying volcanic bedrock, which provided a stable foundation for the substantial stone structure required to withstand repeated heating cycles. Kelp production was labour-intensive and seasonal, demanding coordinated effort from entire coastal communities. The ash residue from kelp burning contained potassium carbonate, making it a commodity of genuine economic importance before the development of synthetic alternatives.
The site at Moyle is now protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 13287, ensuring its preservation as evidence of an important chapter in Ireland's industrial heritage. The kiln survives as a tangible reminder of the resourcefulness of eighteenth-century coastal populations and their exploitation of abundant marine resources.
Kelp kiln is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13287. View the official record →
Kelp Kiln, Moyle is a eighteenth-century industrial structure built upon bedrock of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, mafic lava and tuff formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13287.
Kelp kiln dates from the c18th period, and is classified as a kelp kiln. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Kelp kiln is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 13287.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dunboy. raised rath with souterrain (1.1 km), Stone circle, tumulus. cairn (2.1 km), Cloughnaboghil, druids stone, cloghnaboghil, cloghnaboghil. passage tomb (2.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kelp kiln's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Kelp kiln stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.