Monument record MDR5070 - Pond Cottages (former cupola), Lumsdale, Matlock Town

A terrace of cottages converted in c. 1790 from a lead smelting cupola, counting house and smithy that was originally built in 1748-1751. There is a preserved ground plan with considerable documentary evidence. (1-3) Pond Cottages were originally a Cupola for smelting lead built in 1749 on land known as East Moor. The building was converted into cottages in 1813, with one of the cottages having been the Counting House. (2) In 1749 a lease of ground to build a cupola was granted to George and John Wall and John Twigg. In 1758 two cupolas transferred to Matthew Spark Whitfield, Joseph Boote and Lydia Woodward. In June 1762, Whitfield, Boote and Woodward assigned one cupola, the north end of the building, to George Norman of Winster, together with two ore houses, counting house and smithy, leaving Whitfield to occupy the south end with the other cupola. By 1790 the whole site had come into the possession of William Milnes of Ashover and soon afterwards the buildings were converted into five messuages. Today the cottages, now six as that at the north end has been subdivided, are known to their occupants as 'Cupalo'. (4) Immediately south of Pond 2 is the terrace known as Pond Cottages; the buildings are not included in the scheduling but the ground beneath is included because of the archaeological potential of the buried remains of the lead cupola for which the structure was originally constructed. (6)