Grinton Smelting Mill and Watercourse is a Grade II* listed building in the Yorkshire Dales National Park local planning authority area, England. First listed on 13 February 1973. Smelting mill.

Grinton Smelting Mill and Watercourse

WRENN ID
keen-obsidian-hyssop
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Constituency
Richmond and Northallerton MP: Rishi Sunak (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
13 February 1973
Type
Smelting mill
Address
Grinton Smelting Mill and Watercourse, North Yorkshire
OS grid reference
SE 048 964
Coordinates
54.36333, -1.92646
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Grinton Smelting Mill and Watercourse is a disused lead smelting mill dating from around 1820. It is constructed from rubble with crude quoins and features a stone slate roof. The building is single storey and consists of two parts that form a T-shape in plan, all under one roof. The wider end faces south and has three ground floor openings with segmental-arched heads, including a central doorway flanked by windows. The rear elevation features a central doorway with a round-arched head. The west side has a door for each part, while the east side has a small high-level opening for the pentrough to the waterwheel, a smaller opening that serves as the exit from the hearths to the flue, and a doorway at the east end.

Inside the broader end, there are remains of three smelting hearths and two large king-post roof trusses. Behind this area are the bellows room and wheel chamber, which contains an inserted timber framework that supported a Vaughan's blowing engine, powered by an overshot waterwheel with a diameter of 6 to 7 metres. Remains of the pentrough are still visible. A barrel-vaulted watercourse made of rubble runs alongside the mill. This mill is a rebuilding on a very old site and is recognized as the best preserved lead smelting mill in the area. It is also scheduled as an Ancient Monument.

Local climate

Grinton Smelting Mill and Watercourse receives an average of 960 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 74% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 57% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 56 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 96% of listed buildings. Of these, 34 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Peat Store of Smelting Mill Grade II 31 m
  2. Flue of Grinton Smelting Mill Grade II 119 m
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  4. Grinton Lodge Grade II 1.2 km
  5. Coach House and Stables, Cogden Hall Grade II 1.5 km
  6. Cogden Hall and Railings Grade II 1.6 km
  7. The Grange with Outbuilding Railings and Gatepiers Grade II 1.7 km
  8. Manor House Grade II 1.7 km
  9. East View and Virginia House Grade II 1.9 km
  10. Dike House Grade II 1.9 km