Parking
Small informal lay-by just after the tight bend on the Grinton-to-Leyburn road, reached by turning from the B6270 at Grinton toward Leyburn. Nearest public toilets are in Reeth.
Overview
About Grinton Smelt Mill Accessible Walk
An out-and-back of about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) total, based on the official figure of 0.75 km each way, with roughly 0.75 hours of walking for most visitors. Difficulty is 3/10: easy overall, with short steep pitches and uneven ground. This is a compact heritage walk to an industrial site, not a long fell hike.
Why go
- Roofed smelt mill remains
- Wide track with a clear heritage payoff
Heads up
- Uneven aggregate and short steep pitches
- Small informal lay-by and no toilets at the trailhead
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yorkshire Dales map
Full mapElevation296–326 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Yorkshire Dales alert
- ClosureTemporary closures on public rights of wayAvoid the listed sections of public rights of way while their temporary closures or pedestrian prohibition are in force. - Public Bridleway No. 52 (05.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide
Your drive to Grinton Smelt Mill Accessible Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yorkshire Dales National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
The Flock Lost at Cogden Hall0:00 / 0:20
“In 1883, the farm at Cogden Hall near here brought a flock down from the moors to riverside pasture. Two days later, a flood swept away more than two hundred ewes.”
Plays on the road 0.6 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Yorkshire Dales Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Long Road to Grinton
- The Coal Beneath Grinton Moor
- The Older Healaugh on the Hill
- Reeth Village Green
- 298 audio storiesacross Yorkshire Dales’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Atlantic Salmon, Short-eared Owl, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 63 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Grinton Smelt Mill Accessible Walk
The walkStart from the small lay-by just after the tight right-hand bend on the road running from…
Start from the small lay-by just after the tight right-hand bend on the road running from Grinton toward Leyburn. The track leads gently along Cogden Gill, with open moorland on either side, and arrives at the smelt mill in well under a mile. Return the same way.
The millGrinton Smelt Mill, also known as How or Low Mill, is one of 87 recorded lead-smelt-mill sites…
Grinton Smelt Mill, also known as How or Low Mill, is one of 87 recorded lead-smelt-mill sites in the Dales and the best preserved locally. It is a scheduled monument, still roofed, with some timber fittings in place. The leat and the gill beside it make the water-powered working of the site easy to picture, and information boards help explain what you are looking at.
Surfaces and gradientsThe main track is compact aggregate and grass, generally around 2 m wide, with gradients…
The main track is compact aggregate and grass, generally around 2 m wide, with gradients reaching 1:8. Surfaces are firm but uneven in places, so watch your footing and expect a little effort on the rises.
Optional loop at the millA small loop can be added at the far end.
A small loop can be added at the far end. It includes a shallow water crossing and a short 60 m section at 1:6. Skipping it and simply returning along the track keeps the walk shorter and easier.
Access, parking and toiletsParking is at an informal small lay-by at the obvious bend, reached by turning off the B6270 at…
Parking is at an informal small lay-by at the obvious bend, reached by turning off the B6270 at Grinton toward Leyburn. Space is limited. There are no toilets at the trailhead; the nearest public and RADAR toilets are in Reeth.
AccessibilityThe route is classified as "For some" rather than universally wheelchair suitable.
The route is classified as "For some" rather than universally wheelchair suitable. The mill remains can be reached by wheelchair, and an all-terrain chair should manage the track, but the uneven aggregate and the short 1:6 pitch on the optional loop can make pushing hard work.
DogsDogs are welcome on this public access route.
Dogs are welcome on this public access route. Keep them under close control, on a lead around livestock, and on a short lead from March through July to protect ground-nesting birds.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yorkshire Dales
10 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsAtlantic SalmonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsShort-eared OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
22 sightingsWestern Barn OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
27 sightingsTawny OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
34 sightingsCommon KingfisherMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yorkshire Dales. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
