Monument Number 29279 |
| Hob Uid: 29279 | |
Location :
North Yorkshire
Scarborough
Grosmont
|
| Grid Ref : NZ8286005150 |
| Summary : Alum house recorded as 'ancient' in 1817 when remains of furnaces, boilers and cisterns were visible. The site is called '?allome garth' on a 1636 plan of the Egton Estate, but only trees are depicted suggesting the site may already have been out of use at that date. In an alum house, aluminium sulphate solution was concentrated by boiling in evaporating pans, and an alkali, derived from human urine or burnt kelp, added to cause precipitation of alum crystals. The crystals were then bagged and transported for sale. |
More information : (NZ 8286 0515) Site of an Ancient Alum Works (NAT). (1)
Remains of an 'ancient' alum house at Grosmont with fragments of furnaces, boilers and cisterns enclosed by a stone wall. On a plan of Egton Estate dated 1636 the place is called 'allum garth' although only trees are shown on the site, indicating that it had been out of use for some time. (2)
An old alum works on the east side of Grosmont school. There are no remains now on the ground. (3)
In 1938 the above mentioned estate map was seen by R B Turton, who states that 'though the name of the close cannot be clearly deciphered as Alum Garth, it certainly looks as if "allome" is its first member.' He goes on to say that the plot of ground is now occupied by the Church of St Matthew, and all trace of the remains reported by Young has disappeared, 'though observant men think that they can distinguish in the adjoining alum shale the workings whence the mineral was derived.' (4) |