Marrick Lead Smelt Mills and Dams

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The monument stands proudly on the south side of the road, situated between Fremington and Maske, just 1.25km north of Marrick. It showcases two remarkably well-preserved lead ore hearth smeltmills, a pair of peat stores, earthwork dams, and a buried third smeltmill. John Sayer built the first smeltmill in 1574-5, making it the first in Swaledale and one of the earliest nationwide. The original site was later replaced by Low Mill, visible on a map from 1592 as New Mill, where records suggest it operated as early as 1600. By 1660, a second mill (High Mill) emerged 50m uphill and to the west of the first. It's believed Sayer's mill ceased operations before 1705 but remained standing until its eventual removal. Low Mill underwent extensive renovations in the 1830s courtesy of Jaques & Co, followed by renovations in 1862 from the Hurst Mining Company who added a second-hand c.6m diameter waterwheel to enhance production. For more information on this historical site, visit: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1015824