Description and History of Site:-
The main areas of production are Elmgill Crag (which is a massive boulder spread rather than a crag) centred on SD793 997; just below High Loven Scar centred on SD798 002; below Low Loven Scar centred on SD795 001; Swineset centred on SD793 003; and on Low Band centred on SD797 006.

Altogether 29 roughouts were logged, displaying every possible stage in the production process, along with many tumbler blocks with negatives, telltale tooling marks and 12 stone hewers' shelters. Diameters range from 900mm to 1.6m, thicknesses from 260-500mm. Several of the roughouts were ready to be sent off the hill, others were part worked, yet others had cracked or split. Little is known of its chronology apart from one useful reference from 1665 when Lady Anne Clifford's estate in Mallerstang paid £4 for ... "two Millstones on Loven Scarr" for her corn mill at Bongate, Appleby; and £9 11s for buying and transporting the same pair of millstones from Loven Scar which involved 32 oxen and 6 horses and 12 men and took 4 days to cover the 12 miles from source to mill. (Cumbria Archive Centre, Kendal: WDHOTH/1/17, Lady Anne Clifford's Account Book for 1665.

Further Reading and References:-
Johnson, David S. 'Millstone and grindstone production in the Pennines and North-west Engalnd. A historical and archaeological survey.' Industrial Archaeology Review, 44 (2), 2022, pp. 120-32.

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Key Words :- millstone production sites

Viewing the Site :- Open Access land

Address :- Outhgill, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
Grid Ref :- SD 793 997
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.392354 , Long -2.320294
Local Authority :- Eden District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Westmorland
Site Status :- Site extant - No Protection
Site Condition :- Earthworks only
Site Dates :- unknown - unknown
Record Date :- 7 December 2022

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © David Johnson