Monument record MDR6131 - Slitting Mill (site of), Renishaw

SK 436 769 Renishaw, Slitting Mill Site. Slitting Mill Farm is on the site of George Sitwell's slitting mill of 1652. (1) Renishaw Slitting Mill was built in 1656 fairly close to Foxbrooke Furnace (SMR 4905) to convert bar iron into rod. A map of c. 1795 shows a short head goit leading to the mill, with a longer tail goit which rejoins the Rother close to where the Foxbrook stream enters the river. By 1830 it was in use as a grinding mill. At that time there was a dispute about the weir, and documents in Sheffield Archives include information such as the diameter and breadth of the wheel, the depth of the buckets and the height of the weir boards. One of the documents includes the following note: "The Wear [sic] at present will carry 3 sickle grinders and wood lathe. With the Wear Boards it will carry 3 sickle grinders and 3 scythe grinders, one scythe equal to sickle". (3)