Description and History of Site:-
Greets Edge is a low (c. 8m high) edge of gritstone with tumbler blocks all along its base and exposed rock along the top edge. There is ample evidence on the ground that this was a major millstone production site worked on a commercial basis. Seventeen millstone roughouts were logged: 12 early-stage stones and 5 near completion. Five have the central eye fully cut through. Diameters range from 800mm to 1.85m, thickness from 200-399mm. There are also two shelters in the Edge - one roofed by a natural block with a stone-built front windbreak, the other open fronted and open topped. There is also a delph with several very early-stage roughouts visible. Written records date from 1702-45 though the very large and domed millstone with a diameter of 1.85m and centre thickness of 399mm must be a medieval roughout, abandoned as it fractured on the edge, presumably right at the end of the process.

Disbursements in the Worton Estate accounts note payments for leading a "great Milnstone" to Bainbridge corn mill in 1702 using 6 oxen and 2 horses; £ 1 1s 6d paid for a new runner for a "new millstone" in 1704 for Askrigg Mill; and £13 6s 9d paid for a new millstone for the same mill in 1745.

Further Reading and References:-
WYAS, Morley: WYL 230/2187, Book of Accounts for Worton Estate
Johnson, D.S. 2022. 'Millstone and grindstone production in the Pennines and North-west England', Industrial Archaeology Review 44 (2), pp. 120-32.

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Key Words :- millstone production site

Viewing the Site :- Open Access land

Address :- Askrigg, Hawes, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SD 96826 92410
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.327252 , Long -2.050308
Local Authority :- Richmondshire District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site cleared - no above ground remains visible
Site Dates :- unknown - unknown
Record Date :- 17 December 2022

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