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Keys to the Past Web Site: Allen Lead Smelt Mill was operating as early as 1692 when it was owned by the Bacon family. In the 18th century it was leased from Sir William Blackett by Lancelot Algood. From 1786 the mill was owned by the Beaumont Company which carried out improvements and extensions to the smelt mill. Long horizontal flues were added in 1808 and between 1845 and 1850. The smelt mill finally ended production in 1896.

Although much of the smelt mill has been demolished, remains of several stone structures survive, including a series of bouse teams, condensing chamber, flue opening and a silver smelter. The flue system is extensive and was built to condense the noxious fumes produced from the furnaces. The deposits that formed on the internal walls of the flues were removed periodically for their lead and silver content, via doorways in the flue wall. The flues survive as long mounds up to 8m wide and standing up to 2m high, but where they have collapsed they appear as ditches 2m wide. Three of the flues can be followed for two to three miles (3.5km) onto open moorland at Flow Moss where they end at two chimneys. This flue system is one of the best preserved in England.