Summary
Late-C18 mill manager’s house, extended to form workers’ cottages in the C19. Refurbished in the C21.
Reasons for Designation
The former workers’ cottages at Lea Mills (1, 2 and 3 Lea Road), constructed in the late C18, extended in the C19 and refurbished in the early C21, are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* the cottages retain a good proportion of their original C18 and C19 fabric including stone mullion windows, large lintels and leaded lights;
* the cottages each retain original internal fittings including joinery, stone fireplaces and cast-iron gates.
Historic interest:
* the workers' cottages are part of the wider Lea Mills site and form an important part of the industrial development of the Derwent Valley over the course of the late C18, now recognised as a key precursor to the Industrial Revolution in Britain;
* the evolution of the three cottages from a single, C18 mill manager's house is readily legible and helps to demonstrate the expansion of the mill site.
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 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 on in other parts of the world. Along the valley, industrial development followed soon after in Belper (1776-1777), Milford (1781) and Darley Abbey (1782). These four principal industrial settlements are articulated by the river Derwent, the waters of which provided the power to drive the cotton mills.
The first cotton mill to be erected at Lea Bridge was planned and built in 1783-1784 by Peter Nightingale, Richard Arkwright’s landlord at Cromford. Arkwright brought about legal challenges to Nightingale’s mill, but it continued to operate. Between 1784 and 1792 three dams were created higher up in the valley, boosting the capacity of Lea Brook. In 1818 the mill passed into the ownership of the Smedley family who after a decade of trying to make a success of the cotton mill, adapted it to produce woollen yarns for the manufacture of knitwear with the aim of producing the final product from the raw materials under one roof. This adaption took place under the leadership of John Smedley (1803-1874) who experimented with combining cotton and merino wool in the 1820s to produce a high-quality product.
A mill manager’s house was constructed at the same time as the mill, in around 1783. It was originally constructed as a single, three-bay dwelling and has been extended to the north in two phases over the course of the C19. The first extension to the north is likely to have taken place in the early C19 with an additional dwelling formed to the north of the manager’s house. A further extension to the north took place in the late C19, with three smaller, separate dwellings for workers created from the original single house. In the late C20 the buildings fell out of use and subsequently fell into disrepair. They were refurbished in the early C21 and were formally re-opened in 2018.
Details
Late-C18 mill manager’s house, extended to form workers’ cottages in the C19. Refurbished in the C21.
MATERIALS: constructed of coursed gritsone, with slate roofs.
PLAN: the principal range of the cottages is linear on plan with their principal facades facing east. There is an extension to the rear (west) of the earlier mill manager’s house, giving it an L-shaped plan. The two cottages to the north share a lean-to range to the rear.
EXTERIOR: the original, late-C18 mill manager’s house is situated at the south end of the range of cottages, originally taking the form of a three-bay dwelling with gable end chimney stacks. The house has a symmetrical fenestration over three storeys with a central entrance under a large stone lintel. There is a window opening in the first and third bays on each floor, with each opening having a stone mullion and casement to either side. The window frames are generally timber C21 replacements though some leaded lights have been retained and restored.
Extending to the north is the early-C19 extension, with an additional entrance under a stone lintel and a window on each storey to match the earlier openings to the south. The bay at the very north dates to the late C19 and has a larger window on each floor, with stone surrounds. This late-C19 extension has two storeys rather than three with a greater height between the floorplates meaning that it is the same height as the earlier buildings. The C19 extensions are also denoted by the two northernmost chimney stacks.
The south façade of the late-C18 cottage is blind, with the exception of a small single-light window opening on the ground floor. A later, two-storey range with gable roof projects to the west. This building contains the modern entrance to 1 Lea Road, with a further bay to the west containing window openings with stone surrounds.
The west elevation of the cottages has the lean-to range to the C19 cottages at the north end, with a tall brick stack and doorway situated at the rear of the early-C19 range. To the south is the gable end of the rear range of the late-C18 cottage, which has an additional stone stack and window opening to the north.
The north elevation of the late C19 extension has a door and window opening at ground floor level.
INTERIOR: the plan of the three individual cottages is irregularly arranged across the building, with the south cottage accessed via an entrance on the south elevation. This leads directly to a kitchen and bathroom, with the majority of finishes dating from the C21, with a C19 plank timber door enclosing the winder stair to the first floor. This cottage has one reception room to the east within the late-C18 mill manager’s house. This room retains its original stone fireplace surround with stone corbels supporting the large stone lintel above. Directly to the east are surviving built in cupboards. A ceiling joist in this room is chamfered with run out stops. On the first floor of this cottage are two bedrooms, the room to the east also retains a chamfered and stopped beam.
The central cottage is accessed via the mill manager’s original front entrance. This leads directly to a staircase, with a reception room to the north accessed via an early C19 four-panel timber door with architrave. The reception room contains a fireplace with simple stone surround. The lean-to extension to the rear contains the cottage’s kitchen. The first floor of this dwelling contains a bathroom and a bedroom with stone fireplace and late C18 cast-iron grate. An arched niche with a stone shelf is situated immediately to the east of the fireplace. The first-floor landing retains a late C18 or early C19 cupboard with timber door and L-hinges. There are two rooms above on the second floor, creating a flying freehold plan with the cottage to the south.
The cottage to the north is accessed via a doorway on the east elevation and leads directly to a reception room with cast-iron fireplace on the north wall. A ceiling joist in this room is chamfered. An arched opening to the west of the fireplace leads to the late-C19 section of the building, with higher ceiling heights. There is an additional fireplace in this later room with stone surround on the north wall. The window on the east wall retains its C19 timber shutters. The lean-to range to the west contains this cottage’s kitchen, with a winder stair in the south reception room leading to the upper floors. The first floor of the cottage contains a bathroom within the early C19 part of the building and a bedroom to the north with a stone fireplace and cast-iron grate. The second floor (within the early C19 section only) contains an additional bedroom.
