Sawmill and Workshop Range and Drying Shed Darley Abbey Mills (South Complex)

SAWMILL AND WORKSHOP RANGE AND DRYING SHED DARLEY ABBEY MILLS (SOUTH COMPLEX), OLD LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1067810
Date first listed:
13-Feb-1967
List Entry Name:
Sawmill and Workshop Range and Drying Shed Darley Abbey Mills (South Complex)
Statutory Address:
SAWMILL AND WORKSHOP RANGE AND DRYING SHED DARLEY ABBEY MILLS (SOUTH COMPLEX), OLD LANE
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1067810
Date first listed:
13-Feb-1967
Date of most recent amendment:
30-May-2002
List Entry Name:
Sawmill and Workshop Range and Drying Shed Darley Abbey Mills (South Complex)
Statutory Address 1:
SAWMILL AND WORKSHOP RANGE AND DRYING SHED DARLEY ABBEY MILLS (SOUTH COMPLEX), OLD LANE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
SAWMILL AND WORKSHOP RANGE AND DRYING SHED DARLEY ABBEY MILLS (SOUTH COMPLEX), OLD LANE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
City of Derby (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SK 35455 38553, SK 35456 38538

Details

SK 33 OLD LANE 893/0/10085 Darley Abbey 13-FEB-67 Sawmill and Workshop Range and Drying Shed. Darley Abbey Mills (South complex) (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)) (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, Enquiry iry Office, Toll House, Cottages and Other Buildings)) GV II

Group of detached buildings forming south-eastern corner of extensive cotton textile factory, partially in use as small industrial estate at time of inspection.
Early C19, enlarged mid- C19 further altered mid and late C20. Built by the Evans family of Darley Abbey.
MATERIALS. Gritstone with slate roof coverings and brick with modern cladding.
PLAN: Group forms southern boundary of manufacturing complex sub-divided by Old Lane. It is formed by a functionally related group of buildings identified as SAWMILL and WORKSHOP and DRYING SHED.
SAWMILL and WORKSHOP. EXTERIOR: 2-storey range along the south eastern perimeter of the site, of 2 principal phases. The lower, 7 bay section to the east has multi-paned cast iron windows with hinged central casements in its northern elevation and a blind elevation to the rear. The taller 5 bay building to the west has a wide openings on the ground floor, a loading door and a variety of windows on the upper floor, a hipped roof and external stone stair on the west gable.
INTERIOR : The western range has a very tall ground floor with transverse ceiling beams supported by fluted cast iron columns. Unwrought pine timbers bolted to the beams are fitted with lifting rings. The first floor has 3-inch boards without joists, a form of fire-retarding construction.
DRYING SHED. EXTERIOR : Tall, L- shaped 5 bay by 5 bay single storey shed constructed of brick piers and light panel cladding with ventilated slate roof. It formerly had slatted sides and is shown on the 1881 OS map.

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

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

Legacy System number:
489807
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Sawmill and Workshop Range and Drying Shed Darley Abbey Mills (South Complex)

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 16-Jun-2026 at 14:57:48.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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