The Seaton Iron Works were set up in 1762 by the firm of Hicks Spedding & Co., on land leased from Sir James Lowther for ninety-nine years.
From a two blast furnaces, bar and wrought iron was produced, and in an adjoining foundry were manufactured ships' cannon, steam engines and other ironware.
Griffiths was kept on as Works manager by the West Cumberland Hematite Iron & Steel Company, but the purchase turned out to be a poor investment.
The buildings and siding remained intact for a couple of years but when no new buyer came forward the works were dismantled over a period of time.
The last buildings were pulled down by 1904, leaving very little trace of a concern which had once employed hundreds of people, except for a reservoir and the source canal.