Cromford Mill
Until this past weekend. I had in 37 years, visited 18 World Heritage sites. It is more than I thought, though looking at the list I realise that it is also not quite enough to be happy with. Last saturday, however, I turned this number into 19. Strangely enough, the site was only 16 miles from the front door, in the rolling dales of Derbyshire. I have lived, 'up north' for nearly 14 years now and yet, for some reason had never visited, Cromford Mills, before. I guess the location (didn't drive before I got married), lack of buses, company, etc all meant that I never really explored off of the main bus routes and to be honest I tended to go away more often than I do now, abroad, mainly, Italy, really Rome, the most beautiful city in the world. The one place I love the most.
So, on Saturday, with the family in tow we headed out into the rural beauty that is Derby. We went past mine and my sons favourite Derbyshire attraction, Crich Tramway Museum. As we pulled into the car park in the Derwent Valley, his cries to see, 'Tram, daddy, Tram.' had fallen on deaf ears as we explained just for today, we shan't see the trams. Today, is Mills (& duck feeding for the daughter, who brought her own duck feeding bag, of course the duck feeding bag was put in daddy's back pack so he could do the honour of carrying it for her! that's how she rolls!)
Once trams had been banished from his single track mind, we wandered over to the canal side to go for a pre lunch walk and then to eat and feed the ducks. In this one action, the difference between, Grace and Joshua is quite marked. While Grace delicately (and slowly, oh boy, slowly plucked at small chunks of the bread slices, and then gently tossed them towards, the one, favourite, duck. Joshua, took what I call the 'U.S. Approach'. He ripped enormous great lumps out of the loaf and threw it, not towards, but more, at, the ducks with exceptional gusto, to the point that should I have been one of those ducks (he didn't discriminate or have favourites, his was a more cluster bombing approach), I would have felt that perhaps I was under a 'food attack'. By the time he had cleared all his bread out of the bag and had started on his sisters (who was still nonchalantly picking at hers, fortunately the ducks proved patient towards her and the slow delivery of food).
As you see above. The canal from the Mills starts here, I guess. Canals in many ways, being the transport motorways of the industrial revolution before the trains overtook them and then cars/lorries over took the freight train. There seemed to be a nice cafe where you can see the umbrellas and as cafe's go, this one is situated somewhere quite beautiful, the scenery really is quite awe inspiring.
To the Mills then...beyond those two buildings lies a road and beyond the road a car park which leads to...
A small an unobtrusive sign, screwed onto a stone wall. Almost nondescript in design and information. Yet, for the history buffs amongst you, this sign describes a place that can be argued to be the place where the modern world you and I reside in and live and work, came from. It was what the Americans would call a 'game changer'. This place began the transformation from a Britain, dominated economically by an agrarian culture/cottage industry for thousands of years into an industrial future that held for neigh on 250 years (i would argue that our industrial dominance has been replace or will be replaced by a service based dominance within the next few generations).
But, in the 18th Century, this was the place that beat to a new drum, that marked out the sound of the oncoming, 'dark satanic mills' (that manufactured hell on earth, to quote Roger Waters). No turning back. And certainly not for this place. Cromford Mills, provided vast income to the Arkwright family and investors. Richard Arkwright brought large properties to put his family into. Yet, even then the seeds were being sown and the second generation had already diversified from mills in lending & banks, becoming even richer and not being so badly damaged by the colossal recession caused by the Napoleonic wars. One of the properties was, Scarsdale Hall, now managed by the English Heritage here it must be worth a visit as it's free. Ok, you see a shell of a stately home, but architecturally, what a shell it looks.
As you enter the Mill area, you are struck by the height and size of the mills. which to a 18th century rural labourer must have awe inspiring. The original mills were probably the largest building they would have seen outside of stately homes and the different phases are still impressive now, from shear size, to the wonderful brick finish.
They are simply, beautiful and remarkably functional no doubt. However, this is where the problems begin. The site has been used since the creation of the mills and its last incarnation was as a colour works, this process caused considerable damage to a lot of the site and since it was taken over by the, Arkwright society, a lot of work and time has been directed towards removing the contamination to build further the site (and demolition of the more modern buildings that blighted the site), when it was abandoned in 1979. Now they seem to be focused on building on the site as one that can begin to generate a suitable income to provide sustainability. There are already the odd shop, cafe, meeting rooms, etc. But as I see it the key project at the moment is called, building 17 which will house offices to rent and also provide a far more interactive space for children to explore and learn more about the place, which if I am honest is really missing now (for example, compared to the Tramway Museum, who lay on wonderful displays and picture boards and things the kids can see). This is what the site presently misses, things for young children, etc. As much as Grace and Joshua enjoyed running around the site and climbing onto some of the open wall, that was all there really was to see in the Mill site. (Apart from obviously, the outstanding water flow that cuts through the site and give you an idea of the water power that would have flowed through in its heyday, far more powerfully than now in fact). This fascinated the kids, the noise and sound and looking down from the walkway.
One this building 17 is complete and functional, I think we'll return and the children will get a much better understanding of what, Cromford Mill was and why it was so revolutionary. They will find things that will engage them more than is presently available. As an adult you can find and wander through things but children need more to engage with. I am convinced that this site once fully operational and as they should wish it will become even more popular. It should be because it is so important to our history.
So, on Saturday, with the family in tow we headed out into the rural beauty that is Derby. We went past mine and my sons favourite Derbyshire attraction, Crich Tramway Museum. As we pulled into the car park in the Derwent Valley, his cries to see, 'Tram, daddy, Tram.' had fallen on deaf ears as we explained just for today, we shan't see the trams. Today, is Mills (& duck feeding for the daughter, who brought her own duck feeding bag, of course the duck feeding bag was put in daddy's back pack so he could do the honour of carrying it for her! that's how she rolls!)
Once trams had been banished from his single track mind, we wandered over to the canal side to go for a pre lunch walk and then to eat and feed the ducks. In this one action, the difference between, Grace and Joshua is quite marked. While Grace delicately (and slowly, oh boy, slowly plucked at small chunks of the bread slices, and then gently tossed them towards, the one, favourite, duck. Joshua, took what I call the 'U.S. Approach'. He ripped enormous great lumps out of the loaf and threw it, not towards, but more, at, the ducks with exceptional gusto, to the point that should I have been one of those ducks (he didn't discriminate or have favourites, his was a more cluster bombing approach), I would have felt that perhaps I was under a 'food attack'. By the time he had cleared all his bread out of the bag and had started on his sisters (who was still nonchalantly picking at hers, fortunately the ducks proved patient towards her and the slow delivery of food).
 |
| feeding the ducks on this stretch of Towpath, proved an interesting experience for the ducks. |
To the Mills then...beyond those two buildings lies a road and beyond the road a car park which leads to...
A small an unobtrusive sign, screwed onto a stone wall. Almost nondescript in design and information. Yet, for the history buffs amongst you, this sign describes a place that can be argued to be the place where the modern world you and I reside in and live and work, came from. It was what the Americans would call a 'game changer'. This place began the transformation from a Britain, dominated economically by an agrarian culture/cottage industry for thousands of years into an industrial future that held for neigh on 250 years (i would argue that our industrial dominance has been replace or will be replaced by a service based dominance within the next few generations).
But, in the 18th Century, this was the place that beat to a new drum, that marked out the sound of the oncoming, 'dark satanic mills' (that manufactured hell on earth, to quote Roger Waters). No turning back. And certainly not for this place. Cromford Mills, provided vast income to the Arkwright family and investors. Richard Arkwright brought large properties to put his family into. Yet, even then the seeds were being sown and the second generation had already diversified from mills in lending & banks, becoming even richer and not being so badly damaged by the colossal recession caused by the Napoleonic wars. One of the properties was, Scarsdale Hall, now managed by the English Heritage here it must be worth a visit as it's free. Ok, you see a shell of a stately home, but architecturally, what a shell it looks.
As you enter the Mill area, you are struck by the height and size of the mills. which to a 18th century rural labourer must have awe inspiring. The original mills were probably the largest building they would have seen outside of stately homes and the different phases are still impressive now, from shear size, to the wonderful brick finish.
They are simply, beautiful and remarkably functional no doubt. However, this is where the problems begin. The site has been used since the creation of the mills and its last incarnation was as a colour works, this process caused considerable damage to a lot of the site and since it was taken over by the, Arkwright society, a lot of work and time has been directed towards removing the contamination to build further the site (and demolition of the more modern buildings that blighted the site), when it was abandoned in 1979. Now they seem to be focused on building on the site as one that can begin to generate a suitable income to provide sustainability. There are already the odd shop, cafe, meeting rooms, etc. But as I see it the key project at the moment is called, building 17 which will house offices to rent and also provide a far more interactive space for children to explore and learn more about the place, which if I am honest is really missing now (for example, compared to the Tramway Museum, who lay on wonderful displays and picture boards and things the kids can see). This is what the site presently misses, things for young children, etc. As much as Grace and Joshua enjoyed running around the site and climbing onto some of the open wall, that was all there really was to see in the Mill site. (Apart from obviously, the outstanding water flow that cuts through the site and give you an idea of the water power that would have flowed through in its heyday, far more powerfully than now in fact). This fascinated the kids, the noise and sound and looking down from the walkway.
 |
| The noise this flow makes is thunderous! |
One this building 17 is complete and functional, I think we'll return and the children will get a much better understanding of what, Cromford Mill was and why it was so revolutionary. They will find things that will engage them more than is presently available. As an adult you can find and wander through things but children need more to engage with. I am convinced that this site once fully operational and as they should wish it will become even more popular. It should be because it is so important to our history.
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