Grinton – SE 038973
This mill was built by John Scott, a partner in the Beldi Hill mines and one of those ejected from Spout Gill mill following a dispute with Lord Pomfret. Scott was also a partner in 10 meers of ground on Grovebeck, leased to Robert Elliott, and appears to have built his mill in the late 1760’s or early 1770’s. Whilst ostensibly built by a Crown lessee, Scott’s mill stayed in private hands and must, therefore, have been built with the permission of the Lord of the Manor. It would otherwise have reverted to the Crown and could not have been sold, as it was in 1854, by John Langhorne, of Reeth, to Marmaduke Wyvill, who had the Ellerton Moor mines.
At the latter date, we learn that Scott’s mill had an ore-hearth, slag-hearth, and roasting furnace. Whilst otherwise unremarkable, Scott’s mill is interesting because it never had a flue and yet continued smelting until 1868.
Further information and references can be found in:
- Gill, M.C. Yorkshire Smelting Mills Part 1, Northern Mine Research Society Memoirs 1992, British Mining No 45, pp 111-150
