Entrance to Long Sough west of Allen's Hill

Reasons for Designation

Soughs were horizontal tunnels dug specifically for draining water away from underground mine workings. Although they are common features in association with Derbyshire lead mines, they are rare elsewhere in the country. Well preserved examples are, therefore, considered to be of national importance. Long Sough is a functioning, well preserved and well documented example associated with the important and extensive industrial landscape centred on Cromford and Wirksworth. Its importance is further enhanced by its unusual association with other water management features designed to control the flow of water from the sough and reuse it to power the 18th century Arkwright's Mill.

Details

The monument includes the entrance to Long Sough and comprises a 10m wide D-shaped walled enclosure which drops c.2m below ground level on the inside. Across the inside of the enclosure is a weir with a sluice whose baffle and screw are still extant. Access to the sluice was via a short flight of steps leading down to the weir on the north side. The entrance onto the weir is now blocked by a metal grille. The sough entrance is at the bottom of the enclosure on the south west side. On the north side, set c.1m above the sough, are one blocked and one functioning outfall which may relate to Scarthin millpond 100m to the north west. Water drains away from the sough through two grille-covered culverts on the north east side of the enclosure and, from here, formed part of the original water supply used in the 18th century to power Arkwright's Mill. Long Sough is an extension of Cromford Sough which was started in 1673 and is believed to have been the first major sough undertaken in Derbyshire. The first section was finished by 1682 and numerous extensions were constructed during the next century. The volume of water from the sough to Arkwright's Mill was reduced by the completion of Meerbrook Sough in c.1836.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

27221

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Ford, D, Rieuwerts, JH, Lead Mining in the Peak District, (1968), 89-90

Other
Cranstone, D, The Lead Industry, Step 3 Recommendation, (1994)

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