It was built by Navigators or Navvies across the challenging south wales terrain to speed up and reduce the cost of transporting of such things as coal, lime, iron and other local products. Goytre wharf has some of the best preserved lime kilns, one of which still has the hole in the top where the layers of coal and lime stone were poured.
After firing the kiln to roast the iron ore it was allowed to cool so the lime could be dug out of the bottom through the draw arches. The lime was put in barrels to keep it dry and then shipped by horse and cart to waiting canal boats for onward transportation. There are interpretation boards around the site explaining how the kilns worked.