Beldi Hill lead smelt mill near Keld in Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales.

N.B. Narrative and pictures are as of the times when the pictures were originally added (mostly 1997 to 2004). In 2021, things may look different; conditions, tracks and rights of way may have changed. Click on the Home button for more explanation. How we get to the Beldi Hill lead smelt mill. The track from Keld goes through an area of distinctive beauty. If you want to get there, we think it provides you with the shortest walking route to the smelt mill. The route rises up the side of a little gorge/canyon on the Swale before falling back to just above the level of the Swale again. However, though the distance is not long, you need to be prepared to gain considerable height both going to, and coming back from the smelter. Find the lovely cul-de-sac village of Keld near the west end of Swaledale. Go to the end of the village, where you will see that a well defined clear track leaves to the right. You will enter a car park if instead you go left. Come back to the track and follow it a few hundred yards only before it divides. One side claims the high ground but you need to bear left and make your way down to the Swale. The Swale here is very picturesque. You will see where it has undercut the rocks, especially if you view from the wooden bridge which you will need to cross. The water of Swinnergill can seen be coming down a waterfall behind the mill. The Swinnergill valley can be seen opening out beyond the narrow gorge. You will first need to skirt the falls going upwards at the left, then turn right to the track above them. Next, keeping right, you enter the track which if followed along the side of this superb Swale gorge will eventually lead to Beldi Hill Mill. On the way, the track gains height until it passes Beldi Hill itself at the left. There is then a z-bend where the track crosses Oldfield Hush on a causeway. There are various old hushes near Beldi Hill,evidencing lead workings here before the mines were driven. Oldfield Hush pictured above very large and looks as though it was created in a pre-existing rift. The energetic may feel like going up Oldfield Hush to search out the lead workings higher up and the remains of the dams which used to collect the water for hushing. Where lead veins were near enough to the surface on a hill, and assuming water could be collected in a dam at the top, then the dam coud be burst so that the water would rush down the hill exposing more lead. Continuing on the track, one soon discovers an area of considerable spoil and some old buildings. The building nearer the track is Crackpot Hall which has had some maintenance work done recently. It is possible here to branch off to the left and extend your trip to take in also, the Swinnergill smelting mill. We continued to Beldi Hill lead smelter (smelt mill), following the track by the wall. The track descended rapidly to Swinnergill, to a point not far before where it joins the Swale.The Beldi Hill lead smelt mill is just by the track on the left bank of Swinnergill. It is clear that the smelter was built in a very attractive location with a waterfall behind. Seen in 2003, the efforts made to shore up the ore hearth arch by erecting a column of stones underneath the arch's sagging west side. Let us hope this succeeded. The setting. Beldi Hill lead smelter was built at the side of Swinnergill to provide its water power. Swinnergill flows through a narrow gorge before reaching the smelter site. There is a waterfall just above the mill. This and the limestone cliffs to its side provide the mill with a particularly attractive setting. Below the mill, the canyon opens out to enter Swaledale valley proper. In the picture at right, the external flue can be seen clearly on the hillside. The mill may have ceased production in the early 1870s. Link to the page on the Blakethwaite Smelt Mill >>>