Description and History of Site:-
This the first of the Grassington lead smelting mills was built in 1605 by the Earl of Cumberland on the north bank of the River Wharfe, opposite Linton Church and next to Brow Well which provided a reliable source of water for the waterwheel. The mill was subject to many alterations over its working life, for example a second hearth was added in 1741, a third in 1754 and a second waterwheel was made in October 1761.
Each hearth, or pair of hearths, had its own chimney which probably extended about 13 foot (4m) above the roof line, like the one at Marrick High Mill in Swaledale. This was a common arrangement until the end of the 18th century but it caused severe pollution to the surrounding pastures.
Miners had to take their ore to their Mineral Lord's mill for smelting and this mill and High Mill on Grassington Moor at Moorgate, Coalgrove Beck were provided for this purpose. The ore to Low Mill was being brought from Thorpe, Lea Green and some from Yarnbury for smelting. (The High Mill was built in 1637 for the newly opened mines on the high moor).
The Barmaster's Records for Low Mill in 1658 state that;
''Payd George Smith for a bill of Repayres about the Lead Mill dam .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..8s 0d.
Payd George Smith for mending the bellows .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .14s 0d.
Payd George Smith for several workmen makinge of ye Chimley and the Milldam ..17s 0d.''
The ore hearth was made from local stone which cost 16s 0d,
Repairs to the hearthstone were 2s 0d.
The hearth was fuelled with chopwood (selected wood, barked and dried of all sap in a kiln specially for the purpose, see NYK 01647 for Keyhole Kiln description in BM1 reference). John Lupton and partners chopped and dried sufficient chopwood to smelt 20 tons (20,320kg) of lead for £7 10s 0d. John Smith was paid 5s for getting ''10 kills of chopwood into the kill''. For another 100 years there are accounts for preparing chopwood and carrying to the smelt mill, often long distances. In the accounts of 1701-2 coal was brought from the pits at Thorpe and Bordley but only formed a small proportion of the fuel used, 124 loads against 432 loads of chopwood which remained the principle fuel used.
For a time both the Low and High mills at Grassington were working together but from October 1792 smelting was switched from Low Mill to the new Cupola Mill on the high moor (see NYK01670). A stockpile of ore still remained at the Low Mill however and it was not until 7th February 1793 that the last ore was smelted there.
The back wall of the mill is still evident (2020) and was the subject of an archaeological survey by Bradford University in 1998, the survey results can be read here;- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Vernon3/publication/268686449_Geophysical_Surveys_at_the_Grassington_Low_Smelt_Mill_North_Yorkshire/links/54736ea10cf216f8cfaff4ea/Geophysical-Surveys-at-the-Grassington-Low-Smelt-Mill-North-Yorkshire.pdf?origin=publication_detail
Further Reading and References:-
The Lead Smelting Mills of the Yorkshire Dales and Northern Pennines, R.T.Clough, Second edition 1980, p80.
Lead Mining in the Mid-Pennines,Arthur Raistrick, Bradford Barton Ltd 1973, pp91-92
https://www.nmrs.org.uk/assets/pdf/BM48/BM48-132-151-smelting.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Vernon3/publication/268686449_Geophysical_Surveys_at_the_Grassington_Low_Smelt_Mill_North_Yorkshire/links/54736ea10cf216f8cfaff4ea/Geophysical-Surveys-at-the-Grassington-Low-Smelt-Mill-North-Yorkshire.pdf?origin=publication_detail
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Key Words :- lead smelt mill
Viewing the Site :- Riverbank of Linton Churchyard
Address :- Grassington, Skipton, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SE 00635 63271
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.065380 , Long -1.991791
Local Authority :- Craven District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site derelict - some buildings remaining
Site Dates :- 1605 - 1793
Contributor :- Andrew Garford - 23 November 2020
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Andrew Garford
Grid Ref :- SE 00635 63271
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.065380 , Long -1.991791
Local Authority :- Craven District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site derelict - some buildings remaining
Site Dates :- 1605 - 1793
Contributor :- Andrew Garford - 23 November 2020
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Andrew Garford