Summary
Late C18 stable block, coach house and warehouse, altered and converted into a cafe, offices and gift shop in the C20 and C21.
Reasons for Designation
Buildings 8, 9, 10 and the perimeter wall at Cromford Mill, constructed in the late C18 and altered in the C20 and C21, are listed at Grade I for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* the mill complex 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 good examples of a late-C18 industrial buildings and while austere, are of clear quality and design interest;
* good quality late-C18 features survive including original openings 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. The construction of the first mill (now known as the Upper Mill or Building 18) at Cromford commenced in 1771. In its original form the building contained 11 bays and was five storeys in height. It was originally powered by an overshot wheel with water brought to it by an aqueduct. The aqueduct would have passed narrowly above the entrance to the building on the east elevation, which is framed by a classical, Gibbs surround. In the 1780s, the mill was extended by 10m adding four additional bays at the north end, with a water wheel added to the north gable. The site expanded in this period with the majority of buildings constructed to the east of the first mill.
Buildings 8, 9 and 10 were constructed in the 1780s and originally functioned as the mill’s coach house, stable block and warehouse. The west end of buildings 8 and all of building 9 were constructed as infills along the mill’s original perimeter wall. From around 1840 the production of cotton at the site ceased due to water supply issues which severely limited production. In the subsequent centuries the buildings were put to various uses including brewing, laundry and cheese warehousing. The 1880 Ordnance Survey maps show buildings 8 and 9 to be flush with building 10. The 1969 Ordnance Survey map shows that the north-east end of the building is set back from the rest of the fac¸ade at this date indicating that there has been some rebuilding during the C20. Late C20/ early C21 rebuilding of building 9 is also evident with the installation of modern glazing.
In the C20 the site was for a period in use as a colour works; the buildings were eventually abandoned and subsequently fell into disrepair. The Arkwright Society took over the ownership of the site in 1979 and oversaw the restoration of the mill buildings. Buildings 8 and 9 now house a café/ restaurant, and public toilets while building 10 houses the mill’s gift shop at ground floor with offices above.
Details
Late C18 stable block, coach house and warehouse, altered and converted into a cafe, offices and giftshop in the C20 and C21.
MATERIALS: dressed stone with some late- C20 or early-C21 brick and concrete breeze block alterations, under a slate roof.
PLAN: the buildings are rectangular on plan and are orientated north-west to south-east.
BUILDINGS 8 and 9
EXTERIOR: the buildings are single storey with attic room to the north-east end. The north-west elevation is constructed of ashlar stone and is set back at the north-east end and adjoins the rubble stone perimeter wall. On the ground floor there is a timber casement window containing four glazing panels over vertical wood panelling, with a four-panel wooden door to the right with stone step. Further to the right, there is a semi-circular arch way with modern glazing panels and wooden double doors each with six panes of glazing. On the first floor there is a window directly above the arch with a timber casement containing six panes.
To the west the facade projects forward in dressed stone with a large opening infilled with a late C20 or early C21 low breeze block wall with off centre doorway. The timber entrance door has 12 glazing panes above a wooden panel Wooden framed glazing is situated to either side from wall to ceiling, and above the doorway with five top hung casement windows across the top. The end wall to the right is constructed of brick.
To the right, the facade continues in dressed stone. There is a wooden casement window with nine panes under a stone lintel to the left of a raised doorway with wooden door, also under a stone lintel. To the right there is a doorway with modern wood and glazed door flanked by wooden casement windows each with six panes under a stone lintel. To the front of the building are modern steps and accessibility ramps.
The south-east (rear) elevation faces the road and is a dressed stone wall without any openings, there are two modern skylight openings in the roof.
INTERIOR: the interior of the north-east end now houses a modern kitchen space. A doorway leads from the kitchen into the cafe area. The cafe is open to the roof with exposed modern metal truss and purlins and skylight. The interior walls are a mixed combination of dressed stone and rubble stone, painted white, above a modern dado rail and plaster walls with wooden skirting boards. The south-west end of the building is now divided into public toilets, with modern plaster walls, partitions, and ceiling.
BUILDING 10
EXTERIOR: the building has a symmetrical composition over three storeys and a hipped roof with chimney stack at the north-east end. The principal elevation faces north west and has five bays. The ground floor has a central entrance door and a window opening in the other four bays. The ground and first floors have eight-over-eight sash windows with glazing bars; with single-pane casement windows on the second floor. There is a blocked door and lintel on the ground floor at the very south-west end. The second floor had unglazed window openings thought to be associated with cheese warehousing. The windows have shutters which remain behind an inserted single pane of glass set within a slim frame.
The rear (south-east) elevation has five, single-pane casement windows on the second floor but is otherwise blind.
The south-west elevation has a window gate post attached, and lean-to scarring. There is a wooden door with six panels and stone lintel. On the first floor there is an eight-over-eight plain sash window; with a single-pane casement window on the second floor. The north east elevation adjoins building 9 to the north-east.
INTERIOR: the ground floor is in use as a gift shop and is an open-plan space. There is a small side room used as a kitchen to the south west with a 12-pane window.
The first and second floors are in use as offices. The second floor has exposed beams with a pulley system attached.
PERIMETER WALL
DESCRIPTION: the mill’s perimeter wall encloses the main yard at the east end and extends to the north and west to meet Scarthin Rock. The wall is principally constructed of millstone grit rubble but with some limestone elements which suggest that an earlier wall has been altered and increased in height to improve security. The wall meets the former stable block at the south-east end of the site and continues north west, with a C20 opening soon after which contains timber gates leading to the site’s visitor car park. The wall continues north west to enclose the mill yard before turning west to meet Scarthin Rock.
