Darley Abbey Mills (North Complex) North Mill and Engine House and Boiler House

Details

SK 33 OLD LANE 893/0/10094 Darley Abbey 13-FEB-67 Darley Abbey Mills (North Complex) North Mill, Engine House & Boiler House (Formerly listed as: OLD LANE Darley Abbey 1-5 Cottages) (Formerly listed as: OLD LANE Darley Abbey Darley Abbey Mills (East Mill, Middle Mill, West Mill, Finishing House, Enqu- iry Office, Toll House, Cottages and Other Buildings)) (Formerly listed as: OLD LANE Darley Abbey Darley Abbey Mills (East Mill, Middle Mill, Long Mill, West Mill, Gassing Shed, Polishing Shop, Dyeing Shop, Boiler House, Chimney, Canteen))

GV II*

Multi-component former manufacturing complex, forming northern part of extensive multi-phase cotton textile factory, partially in use as small industrial estate at time of inspection. c. 1825, enlarged late C19, further altered early C20. Built by the Evans family of Darley Abbey. MATERIALS. Red brick over a gritstone base with slate roof coverings.
PLAN : Complex forms the middle yard of manufacturing complex sub-divided by Old Lane and powered originally by watercourses flowing through the site, fed by the River Derwent. It is formed by a functionally related group of buildings identified as NORTH MILL, ENGINE HOUSE & BOILER HOUSE. The western end of the complex has accretional structures adjoining related to the later development of the site but not of special interest.
NORTH MILL: EXTERIOR : 13 bay L-shaped range of 3 storeys and attic aligned east west with a 6 bay north south return at the east end. Multi-paned sash windows beneath flat stone lintels. A single bay projection at the north end of the return range and a full height loading bay at the west end with a single storey linking block were added mid/late C19. A 3 bay single storey Engine House and 4 bay single storey boiler house were added late C19 at the east end blocking a number of original openings.
INTERIOR: Of fireproof construction, incorporating cylindrical cast-iron columns with transverse brick jack arching. The second floor ceiling/attic floor has exposed timbers protected by sheet metal. It has a cast-iron and wrought iron roof with a single set of cast-iron struts and single wrought-iron king-rods. The engine and boiler Houses have timber king-post roofs, the engine house roof having more decorative treatment. The single bay projection at the north end has a mezzanine-level lime-ash floor supported on fish-bellied cast-iron joists and a roof incorporating fish-bellied cast-iron purlins.
HISTORY: North Mill is thought to date from the mid -1820s as it shares some of the characteristics of the mills to the southern complex but in a more fully developed form, with more generous floor heights than the main mills, and a roof structure similar to, but more simplified than, that of West Mill.
The original power came from the southern complex via a shaft under the yard entering the building at the west end where transmission evidence survives in the stair compartment. The Engine House appears on a 1881 map and housed a steam engine while in 1917 a suction gas plant with 180 hp twin cylinder horizontal engine was installed.

This complex of structures forms part of the textile manufacturing site at Darley Abbey which traded under the name of Boars Head Mills. The complex as an entity is exceptional in its completeness of survival, and displays important aspects of the development of fire-proofing technology for textile factories. The site forms part of the closely related network of pioneer textile manufacturing sites in the Derwent Valley; Thomas Evans was an associate of Richard Arkwright of Cromford and the Evans family was related by marriage to the Strutt family who had mills in Belper, Milford and Derby. Darley Abbey sits alongside these settlements in terms of both historic and architectural significance, the mill complex retains all of its major early buildings as well as the C19 additions many of which are distinguished by the use of iron roofs. Source: English Heritage Architectural Investigation Report NBR 33050

Legacy

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489805

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