Burning House In Middlecott Wood, About 400 Metres South West Of Middlecott Farmhouse

The Burning House in Middlecott Wood, located about 400 metres south-west of Middlecott Farmhouse, is a structure likely built in the mid to late 19th century. It is constructed from large dressed granite blocks, except for part of the western end which is made of granite and slatestone rubble, with red brick dressings and internal finishes. The roof is covered with corrugated iron.

The building has a rectangular three-cell plan, with the middle cell extending to the full height of the structure and featuring a doorway and two windows on the south side. The east and west cells each house a furnace, with a storeroom for ore located above each furnace. Each furnace has an opening with an iron door leading from the middle cell, and above this opening is a flue that originally had a stack on the roof ridge. A second horizontal flue leads from the first to a detached stack on the north side of the building, serving both furnaces.

Each furnace includes a segmental brick vault with a hopper that allows ore to be shovelled in from the storeroom above. The fire is positioned against the gable wall, with external access in the north wall and an ashpit located beneath. At the opposite end, below the furnace, there is a cooling chamber with external access in the south wall. The storerooms each feature a doorway in the gable wall and a window in the south wall. The simple roof-trusses, likely the original ones, remain intact.

The Burning House was in use until the early 20th century and is believed to have processed tin ore from the nearby Atlas Mine. Just to the south, though not included in the listing, is the water-wheel pit of a former stamping mill. This building is a rare and remarkably complete example of its kind, often described as presenting a clear illustration of how this type of furnace functioned.