Zeche P - 11 October 2019

The construction of the coal mine started in 1943. The activities are stopped at the end of the Second World War. In 1949 the coal mine was put back into use and in 2008 the mine was shut down.

Charbonnage No 10 Du Gouffre - 1 March 2019

At the end of the 19th century Charleroi was a bustling industrial city, so Société Des Charbonnages Du Gouffre emerged. This coal company opened the coal pit (number 10) in the year 1916. Although initially it was thought that the demand for coal continued to rise, the well was eventually closed. This was partly due to the switch to other raw materials and the fact that there was less coal in pit 10 than expected. In the year 1969 charbonnage du gouffre closed its doors. Since the closing of the coal pit, the site had become vacant. Nothing was done until Mr. Heuchon decided in the 80’s to temporarily house zoo animals in the vacant buildings.

Charbonnage des Hiercheuses - 1 march 2019

A coal mine managed by the Factories and Charbonnages of Marcinelle-Nord and Couillet which was taken into use in 1846. In 1931 this location was merged with the SA Charbonnages de Monceau Fontaine. A few years later the mine closed. Most buildings (such as the shafts) have been demolished. The plan is to clean up the site in the coming years in order to build houses. Nice to pick up for those in the neighbourhood, but not the trouble to plan a trip. 

Charbonnage de Forte-Taille - 6 January 2019

The company was founded in 1865, it is a fairly modest mine. Twelve miners died in 1920 due to an accident in excavation work. It is from this moment that this coal mine will decrease. In 1929 a single shaft still delivers coal, it was close in 1935. In 1950, the closed coal mine was bought by the Fontaine-l'Évêque Company. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the shafts were demolished and there remains only old buildings in bad condition.

Cokeries d'Anderlues - 30 September 2018

In 1906, the coking plant was built, where the residual products that were released during the purification of the coke oven gas were also processed into pitch, benzene and the like. In particular, cast coke was produced, a quality that was not used for blast furnace operations, but for iron foundries, among other things. It was not until 1970 that blast furnace coke was also produced.

After the mining was finally finished in 1969, the coal in the slag heap was still used, while also resorting to imported coal. In 1971, the name of the company was changed to S.A. des Cokeries et Houillères d'Anderlues, abbreviated to Cokeries d'Anderlues. The production of ammonium sulphate was terminated in 1987. Although the production of the coking plant has been going on for some time, not much has been invested in it. As a result, the installation was ultimately outdated and in 2000 it was rejected and there was no more money to invest in order to meet the environmental and safety requirements. The factory with 113 employees closed the doors in November 2002. Looks like a start is made with the demolition of the complex.

Lime Kiln Däölkesberg - 8 April 2018

Lime Kiln Midweg - 30 March 2018

Lime Kiln 't Koffiepotje - 30 March 2018

Company Lintjens, Cornips & Co started in 1917 with a Lime Kiln. This kiln was of different construction in comparison with the other kilns in Limburg. The complex was operational until the 1930s. In 1984 the lime kiln was restored.

Lime Kiln De Valk - 30 March 2018

This Lime Kiln was built around 1933. In the framework of a work-life project, after the stock market crash of 1929, the limestone was taken from the nearby Nekami quarry. Around 1964 the Lime Kiln was closed.

Lime Kiln De Gewande - 30 March 2018

It was the Romans who already chopped marl blocks from the slopes to build their houses. The marl was also used to burn lime, to serve as a mortar and to fertilize the soil for agriculture. The lime kiln is built quite simply. The furnace had a height of 6 - 7 meters and an internal diameter of approximately 3 meters. At the bottom of the ovens there was a heavy grid with a workspace underneath. This was necessary to deposit and dispose of the burnt lime. Working in the lime kiln was heavy physical work that was carried out at that time by day laborers and deserted Belgian soldiers who lived in refugee camps in the area.

Brick Factory Lauwers - 9 March 2018 

In the last century Noeveren was completely dedicated to the brick industry. The brick factory is located at the clay pits in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, employing a large number of people during her heyday. The old buildings were partially converted into several large sheds after stopping the original work in which, among others, the Comet company established itself. In 2012 there was a definitive end to all work and the buildings were vacant.

Brick Factory Frateur - 9 March 2018

Noeveren near the Rupel river is a classic worker district. The brick industry dominated the banks of this river. Around the 1900’s a unique landscape arose, with more than 150 active factories near the Rupel and a slogan “the biggest in the world” it has the top production of the world.

This unique landscape went through a serious crisis as a result of the recession in the brick industry. Nowadays there are only 5 factories left near the river Rupel. The biggest brick factory in Noeveren was Frateur. On this site bricks were made already in 1346. Over the years other factories started in the same district. The three factories that were active in 1840 were bought by Paul Frateur. Since 1986 the site is protected industry.

The place became abandoned, buildings collapsed and the huge drying sheds were destroyed by trees and the weather. In 1997 finally a start was made for restoration. The EMABB association starts tot rebuilt the 1912 oven building. But the works stopped, again the site got worse. Finally in 2006 they started repairing the drying sheds and the 1950 engine room. The site is now part of the brick industry museum of Boom.

Lime Kiln Curfs - 23 February 2018

At the foot of the Curfs Quarry are the remainder of a lime kiln built in 1916. Due to the outbreak of the First World War, there was a large lack of lime for construction because it could not be easily imported from abroad. This made it very lucrative for Limburg entrepreneurs to exploit the qualitatively lesser lime from South Limburg and around the hundred ovens were built in this region in a short time. The lime kilns had not a long life after the First World War. The Second World War caused an upturn in demand for lime, but then most of the ovens were already closed. The lime kiln of Curfs was still active in the fifties, but then stopped. On this moment they are renovating this location.

Coal Mine Eisden - 7 January 2018

The Coal Mine of Eisden in Belgium was one of the seven mines of the Kempens coal basin. This mine seat was located in Eisden. In 1907 the Société Anonyme des Charbonnages Limbourg-Meuse was founded, which began producing coal from 1922 onwards.

The underground levels of this coal mine were 600, 700 and 780 meters with a small floor 900 meters accessible via sloping corridors. In 1955 the maximum employment was reached with 7340 miners. The mine was closed on 18 December 1987 after years of protest. (legal visit) 

Lime Kiln Kurvers - 6 January 2018

As a result of the First World War, due to the closed borders, the import of masonry and agricultural lime from Belgium came to an end. This created a lime production in South-Limburg. In 1915 the Family Kurvers started with the construction of six lime kilns. With the production of the lime they stopped here around 1965. The ovens were bricked up and a new branch of industry (transport company) was built in several stages against the old lime kilns. This transport company moved in 1990 and from this moment the complex is empty.

Lime Kiln Putberg - 6 January 2018

During the First World War, when the Germans invade Belgium and the borders with the neutral Netherlands were closed, the import of masonry and agricultural lime from Belgium stagnated. And the Netherlands had entirely dependent on its own lime production. In the Limburg ‘Mergelland’, a large amount of lime kilns were build. In 1917 during the peak of the "lime-fever period" there were no less than 44 lime kilns in the area around the Putberg. It was a true 'war industry'. The ovens were fired day and night. The most famous, silent witness of this post-industrial landscape is this double lime kiln at the bottom of the Putberg. After the war, when production in the neighbouring countries were started again, many of these Limburg companies went very quickly bankrupt.
  

A lime kiln was made of brick and Kunrader stone, was about 5 meters high and 5 meters in size. In these ovens the marl was stacked in layers with layers of fuel between them (charcoal or coal dust). The top and front were bricked up and the fire was lit