Grinton Smelting Mill And Watercourse

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.