Smelt House
North Bedburn (Howden le Wear)
At the location now known as 'Fir Tree Grange', NZ162 337
North Bedburn
.... There is supposed to have been an iron smelting-furnace
here, for there is in the township a farm called Smelt house,
and several heaps of hard slag or cinders.
p258 of "History, directory, and gazetteer, of the
counties of Durham and Northumberland" William Parson, William
White (of Sheffield) Printed for W. White & co. by E.
Baines and son, 1828.
It seems probable that iron ore from Hartgyll was smelted at this site.
The property was known as Smelt House as early as 1587 when Henry Jackson, yeoman, made his will leaving three farms to three sons. (Surtees Society Volume 38 'Northern Wills part II' p292. The inventory is in part III)
George Coates 1643 - 1723
He settled his considerable property on his three sons (the farm
of Case Lease in Hamsterley, Lynesack in Cockfield, and
Smelt House in Witton-on-Wear).
http://benbeck.co.uk/fh/watson1.html
A building worthy of note is that of Fir Tree Grange, formerly a Smelt House. This manorial style house was re-built in 1847 upon the site of an ancient house dating from 1511.
8/7 circa 1690 Notes concerning two surrenders ( 13 November 1689 and 29 May 1690 ) of Smelthouse (Co. Durham (?)), and a note, in Thomas Conyers' hand, stating that he wished to know what money Mary Frevile had on Mr Martindale's estate sold to Mr Bowes. Paper 2ff.