Brick archways

The exterior west wall of one of the buildings nearer to the river and just to the north of the excavated river dock. Note also the brick archway which appears to have been given a ‘first floor’ connection to the adjacent building. The main building has probably fulfilled a number of roles in its life. In the early days, this part of the plant was dedicated to water-powered production of furnace linings. However, later illustrations show it as a roasting or smelting furnace house, while other documentation suggests further use as a brass annealing house and later even a lead pipe plant. This goes to show just how usage of the plant changed regularly over its 200 year history. It also shows that the White Rock works was not just another copper smelter. It has been used for the production of silver and gold as well as lead and possibly brass. The brick buttresses are of note, cropping up regularly around the site.