List of mills in Derbyshire facts for kids

Derbyshire, a county in England, was a very important place for making textiles, especially cotton, a long time ago. Starting in the 1760s, the first textile mills were built here. These early mills were powered by the fast-flowing water from rivers like the River Derwent and the River Etherow. Famous inventors like Richard Arkwright and Jedediah Strutt built some of the very first mills in the Derwent Valley.

Over time, these mills changed a lot. Some were sold, some were knocked down, and some started using steam power instead of water. They also changed what they made and even their names. The water-powered mills were usually smaller than the huge steam-powered ones that came later.

Mills of the Derwent Valley

The Derwent Valley was a very important area for early cotton mills. This includes places like Derby and Belper.

Belper Mills

Belper had many important mills, some of which are still standing today.

• North Mill in Belper: The first North Mill was built in 1786 by Jedediah Strutt. It burned down in 1803. A new one was built in 1804 by his son, William Strutt. This mill is special because it's one of the oldest buildings in the world made with an iron frame to stop fires.
• East Mill in Belper: This is a very strong-looking, seven-story building. It was built in 1912 by the English Sewing Cotton Company.
• Unity Mill in Belper: This mill was first used for grinding corn. In 1853, John Strutt changed it to spin cotton. Later, it was used to make furniture.
• de Bradelei Mill in Belper: This mill was home to George Brettle & Co., who made hosiery (socks and stockings).

Darley Abbey Mills

• Boar's Head Cotton Mills in Darley Abbey: These mills, owned by the Evans family, made very good quality 'Boar's Head' sewing cotton. The Long Mill was built in 1782. It burned down and was rebuilt in 1790. The top floor was even used as a school for the children who worked there. Other mills here included West Mill (1821), Middle Mill (1804–05), and East Mill (1811). There was also a Gassing Shed (1862) where thread was singed to make it smooth.

Cromford and Other Mills

• Cromford Mill in Cromford: This was the very first cotton mill set up by Richard Arkwright. It used his new "Spinning Jenny" machine to make cotton thread. Later, it became a paint factory.
• Masson Mill in Matlock Bath: This mill was built in 1783.
• Milford Mills in Milford: This group of mills was built by Jedediah and William Strutt. They started spinning cotton in the 1780s and later added sections for bleaching and dyeing cotton. William Strutt experimented with building fire-proof mills here.

Mills of the River Wye

The River Wye also powered several important mills.

• Cressbrook Mills in Cressbrook: This mill was built in 1815.
• Litton Mill in Millersdale: This mill is known for its history.
• Lumford Mill in Bakewell: This mill was also powered by the River Wye.

The Mills of New Mills and Rowarth

This area had many mills along different rivers and canals.

Rowarth Brook Mills

Several mills were located along the Rowarth Brook.

• Little Mill in Rowarth: This was the oldest known mill in the New Mills area. It was a two-story building powered by a waterwheel. Sadly, the remains were washed away by a big flood in 1930.

River Goyt Mills

The River Goyt was another important source of power.

• Torr Vale Mill in New Mills: This mill, also known as Stafford's Mill, was built in 1788. It is a very old and important mill.
• Torr Mill in New Mills: The first mill here was built in 1794 for spinning cotton and was powered by water. It burned down in 1838. A bigger, five-story mill was built right away on the same spot. Later, a chimney was added, meaning it used both steam and water power. It was destroyed by fire again in 1912. Today, the Torrs Hydro (a small power station) is on this site.

River Sett Mills

The River Sett (also called River Kinder) also had many mills.

• Hyde Bank Mill in New Mills: This mill was first a woollen mill, which burned down. The current four-story cotton mill was built in the early 1800s. It used to finish fabrics but has now been turned into apartments.
• London Place (Watford Bridge Printworks) in Sett Valley: This mill was used for printing patterns on fabric in 1889.

Peak Forest Canal Mills

The Peak Forest Canal was also important for transporting goods to and from the mills.

• Brunswick Mill in Newtown, New Mills: This large mill building was built in 1883. It was a cotton mill and later bought by Edward Godward, a Quaker. It was then used as a sweet factory by Swizzels Matlow.
• Victoria Mill in Newtown, New Mills: Built in 1860, this was the last cotton spinning mill to work in New Mills, closing in 1985. It was partly destroyed by fire in 1986 and mostly knocked down.
• Albion Mill in Newtown, New Mills: This three- and four-story mill was built in 1859. It was one of the first cotton mills built around the Peak Forest Canal.

Other Mills in Derbyshire

There were also mills in other parts of Derbyshire.

• Calver Mill in Calver: This mill opened in 1778. It was destroyed by a flood and fire, but a new seven-story mill was built in 1804. It stopped spinning cotton in 1923. In the 1980s, the mill was used as a filming location for the TV show Colditz, pretending to be Colditz Castle.
• Edale Mill in Edale: This mill, built around 1795, has now been turned into apartments. Many women workers from Castleton would walk a long way, climbing a tall hill, to get to work at this mill. Cotton making stopped here in 1934.
• Haarlem Mill in Wirksworth: This cotton spinning mill was built by Richard Arkwright around 1780.

Images for kids

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  North Mill, Belper

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  East Mill, Belper

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  Boar's Head Mills, Darley Abbey

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  Cromford Mill

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  Bath Street Mill, Derby

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  Lombe's Mill, Derby

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  Masson Mill, Matlock Bath

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  Milford Mills

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  Cressbrook Mill

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  Litton Mill

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  Lumford Mill

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  Torr Vale Mill, New Mills

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  Hyde Bank Mill, New Mills

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  Watford Mill from Mellor Rd, New Mills in 1963

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  Brunswick Mill, New Mills

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  Remains of Victoria Mill, New Mills

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  Albion Mill, New Mills

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  Calver Mill

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  Clough Mill, Little Hayfield

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  Edale Mill

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  Haarlem Mill, Wirksworth

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  Phoside Mill, Hayfield