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Slide 7
At Langley the lead was brought to be smelted. It must have been a filthy and noisy place.
Notes
Nothing substantial remains of these buildings, although there are still large reservoirs (now used for fishing, as well as being the home of otters – which causes a certain amount of friction!). Smelting involved washing, crushing and roasting the ore. It was a skilled job and smelters were well paid, although they risked serious damage to their health from the poisonous chemicals produced – lead, antimony, arsenic and sulphuric acid. The construction of the mill at Langley provoked furious opposition from local farmers who complained of damage caused to land and cattle from the mill reek. The owners had to pay compensation and farming was then prohibited on about 12 acres around the mill and a high wall constricted to enclose this land.