Description and History of Site:-
Very little remains of the Cupola lead smelting mill which stood on the eastern bank of Cam Gill Beck just north of Starbotton village. The mill opened in 1843 to smelt ore from Buckden and Starbotton mines which had previously used Grassington Cupola. The mill measured approximately 20 feet by 55 feet (6m by 16.7m) set in an enclosure of 45 feet by 150 feet (13.7m by 45.7m). It contained a Slag Hearth and a Reverberatory Furnace (Cupola) and its waterwheel was set into the side of the stream's bank. The flue runs up the side of the gill and until 1857 terminated at the edge of the gill near Starbotton Cam Road, about 350 feet (106.6m) from the mill. The flue was extended and then ran for about 1,080 feet (329m) to a 25 foot high (7.6m) square section chimney on Cam Pasture.
The mill was built on land owned by John Swale but was operated by the Starbotton Smelting Company. The partners were all managers of the Duke of Devonshire's mines and consisted of Thomas William Humphrey, Joseph Mason, Josiah Remfrey and Stephen Eddy. This privately run company was an unusual arrangement for the area where the mills were usually either built by the Mineral Lord or mining companies.

The smelting mills of the Yorkshire Dales including Starbotton charged the mine companies millage, this was calculated by the weight of pig lead produced. Millage covered the mills running costs including smelters wages, fuel, carriage and any profits. This system encouraged efficiency because the smelters were paid on the weight of the pig lead produced.
A reverberatory furnace was used due to a shortage of fuel in Upper Wharfedale. Chopwood was expensive in the 1840s and the company probably didn't have rights to cut the peat needed for an Ore Hearth. The company owners were familiar with using coal at the Grassington Cupola (see NYK01670) and Cononley mine (see NYK01648). Most of the coal came by barge from the Burnley mines to Skipton or Gargrave wharfs and then onwards to the mills by carter.
The cost of fuel, carriage and labour were of critical importance to any smelting mill but especially so to one as remote as Starbotton Mill at the head of Wharfedale. Costs rose steadily during the 1850s, carriage rose 50%, coal 20.5% and smelters wages 12%. In spite of the rising costs, Starbotton mill made an overall profit of 30% over the last 12 years in which records are available. The mill didn't work continuously but had an annual smelting season which lasted for around two months between October and May in most years. Because of this the Head Smelters were drawn from partnerships normally working the Grassington Cupola. Most of the ore smelted came from Buckden Gavel which produced 1,543 tons (1,567,760 kg) between 1850-62.

The last recorded smelting done here was in early 1862.

Further Reading and References:-
British Mining number 49, The Wharfedale Mines, M.C. Gill, Northern Mine Research Society pp36-38
Site Survey here:- https://0b63cf1f-011c-4fab-9d92-0de06e7c4f8b.filesusr.com/ugd/18cf8f_4493514c950e4798a7837b571ea3a6b9.pdf

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Key Words :- cupola smelt mill lead

Address :- Starbotton, Skipton, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SD 95473 74984
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.170629 , Long -2.070841
Local Authority :- North Yorkshire Council
Pre 1974 County :- orkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Earthworks only
Site Dates :- 1843 - June 1862
Contributor :- Andrew Garford - 20 January 2021

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Andrew Garford