Summary
Annex buildings for and the remains of a late-C18 cotton-spinning mill.
Reasons for Designation
Buildings 1, 7 and the remains of the Second Mill at Cromford Mill, constructed by Sir Richard Arkwright in the late C18, are listed at Grade I for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* the mill was constructed in the C18 by the entrepreneur Sir Richard Arkwright who was pioneering in his use of water power to mass-produce cotton thread, which came to be of outstanding importance in the development of textile mills;
* for its technological interest as an exceptionally early survival from the first generation of water-powered textile mills which illustrates the wider trends in the history of this industry;
* dubbed the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, the mill complex became the blueprint for factory production, with Arkwright’s factory system replicated internationally.
Architectural interest:
* the buildings are a good example of a late-C18 industrial buildings and while austere, are of clear quality and design interest;
* good quality late-C18 features survive including mullion windows and coursed stonework.
Group value:
* the late-C18 buildings survive remarkably well as a group and help to demonstrate the functioning of this early textile mill complex.
History
The development of the cotton industry in the Derwent Valley in the late C18 has been determined as a key precursor to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. This development initially began with the construction of the Silk Mill in Derby in 1721 for the brothers John and Thomas Lombe, which housed machinery for throwing silk, based on an Italian design. However, it was not until Richard Arkwright constructed a water-powered spinning mill at Cromford in 1771, and a second, larger mill in 1776-1777 powered by the Bonsall Brook and the Cromford Sough, that the ‘Arkwright System’ was truly established. This system was a true blueprint for factory production and was soon replicated elsewhere in Britain, and later in other parts of the world. Along the valley, industrial development followed soon after in Belper (1776-1777), Milford (1781) and Darley Abbey (1782), with these four principal industrial settlements articulated by the river Derwent. Into the C19, the mills along the Derwent Valley were limited in their possibility for growth due to topographical constraints and distance from ports through which cotton was imported. This limitation has to an extent ensured their survival. Overall, the landscape created by Arkwright’s factory system remains largely intact.
After the construction of the first mill at Cromford in 1771 (now known as Building 18), the site soon expanded with a second mill constructed in 1776-1777. The following years saw the vast expansion of the site, with the majority of the buildings on constructed in the 1780s.
The Second (Lower) Mill, constructed in 1776, was a water-powered cotton spinning mill. It was the largest building on the site until it burnt down in 1890. The construction of the mill bore witness to Arkwright’s need for additional space and power to accommodate for the development of his mechanised cotton spinning processes. The new mill, 38m long and 9.5m wide, comprised 16 bays and was six storeys high with an additional clerestorey attic. It contained an entrance, stairs and an office at the south end, the wheel pit in the centre and a privy tower at the north end.
The Second Mill was constructed downstream and to the east of Arkwright’s first mill, and it derived its power from a waterwheel in the centre of the building. A substantial extension was added in the 1780s on the east side. A stone walkway divides areas of brick and stone sleepers forming the floor to the north side of the wheelpit. The brick tanks which were constructed over the mill’s southern end while the site was used as a colour works were removed in the 1990s.
Buildings 1 and 7 originally functioned as the powered annex to the Second Mill. The date of their construction is uncertain though their shaped lintels and downstream position indicate that they may have been constructed in a phase of development during the 1780s.
The fire to the Second Mill resulted in the loss of the upper three storeys to building 7, which previously matched building 1 in height. The stair tower of building 1 originally contained a hot air heating system, Later extensions, which were built to the south and west during its use as a laundry were demolished in the 1990s.
The ground floor of building 1 is currently (2023) in use as a school room and events space. The upper floors of the building are used for storage.
Building 7, now entirely single storey, is currently (2023) in commercial use.
Details
Annex buildings for and the remains of a late-C18 cotton-spinning mill.
MATERIALS: constructed of rusticated ashlar stone, with a brick extension to the rear of block 7. The buildings have tiled roofs with a flat roof at the west end of building 7.
PLAN: buildings 1 and 7 combine to make an L-shaped plan. The remains of the Second Mill consists of an elongated rectangle on plan, oriented roughly north-south.
BUILDINGS 1 and 7:
EXTERIOR: building 1 is four storeys tall, 11 bays long, and two bays wide. The principal, north-east fac¸ade retains its symmetrical form of regular eight-over-eight sash windows with stepped stone lintels. The sash windows have a wide central mullion a pattern not found elsewhere on the site. The ground floor has a door opening in the second bay from the south and a wide, elliptical arched cart opening in the second bay from the north. The latter opening is around two metres wide with its arch framed by large shaped stone voussoirs.
The south-east fac¸ade of building 1 features three bays of eight-over-eight sash windows, with the south bay set back in line with building 7. The ground floor does not feature the windows found on the upper floors. Building 7, attached to the south-west, is single storey, six bays long, and two bays wide. To the rear is a redbrick extension.
The south-west fac¸ade is much altered, with the three upper floors of building one rendered at the south end where the building once joined the upper floors of building 7. The six bays at the north- end of this elevation retain their regular sash window openings. To the rear (north-west) of building 7 is a flat-roofed red brick extension with two blocked openings under stone lintels.
INTERIOR: the principal entrance to the ground floor of building 1 is a via a late-C18 timber door on the south-east elevation The ground floor is used as a classroom and an events space. The floor is concrete, and the ceiling retains its original beams, although the exposed joists above have been replaced. The walls are constructed in rubble stone, which have largely been painted white.
The original timber staircase is situated in the single surviving four-storey bay of the south-west to north-east range, where buildings 1 and 7 join, with this bay also housing the building’s latrine facilities with small windows and heating system. The stone stairs with brick arched landing ceilings, effectively a fire protected staircase, date to the late-C18 and run from the ground to third floors with a half landing. This staircase once provided access to the upper floors of both building 1 and 7, until the upper floors of the latter were lost. Each upper floor space of building 1 is entered through a late-C18 metal door. An additional staircase at the north end of building 1 dates from the late C20.
Each of the upper floors of building 1 are currently (2023) in use as storage spaces and are accessed via a large late-C18 cast iron door on each level.
The first floor retains most of its late-C18 ceiling structure consisting of large chamfered beams with runout stops, which support smaller joists above. Carpenters marks are evident on some, though elsewhere some of the beams and floorboards have been replaced.
The second floor is similar to the first, but with fewer supporting beams in the roof structure. It again retains original beams supporting replaced joists above.
The third floor is also open plan and contains the building’s roof structure with queen post trusses with struts visible. All of the upper floors of building 1 contain timber flooring and limewashed random rubble stone walls.
Building 7 is a mixed-use space which is primarily in commercial use (2023). The shop unit at the west end is accessed via a timber door under a large steel joist and features a mixture of ashlar and rubble stone walls with the flat roof above supported by a steel roof structure. To the rear (north-west) is an additional room with painted brick walls and steel roof structure. The retail unit to the east has a visible king post roof structure with stone rubble walls.
SECOND MILL:
DESCRIPTION: immediately to the south west of building 7 are the remains of the Second Mill, The walls stand between 30cm and 2m and are of gritstone on a slight plinth except the south gable which survives almost to first floor with 3 blocked windows, the privy tower at the north end with flushed drainage channels to the wheelpit and the springing of the relieving arch carrying the building over the mill leat. The survival of the masonry varies, with relatively poor survival on the east wall compared to others. There is also variation of materials. To the north, the small amount of surviving masonry above ground is in ashlar, whereas below is uncoursed rubble. It is similar on the south wall, although here there is a single course of ashlar blocks below ground as well. The wheel pit has survived largely intact at the centre of the building, and water continues to flow through it. It is constructed in ashlar, and the west side is curved to ensure maximum efficiency of the high breast shot water wheel. Publicity after the 1890 fire states that this mill was built of brick above a gritstone plinth