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Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site

Cromford Canal – Lawn Bridge

4th July 2017 by

Lawn Bridge looking north
Lawn Bridge looking south

Lawn bridge is a simple hump-backed bridge constructed of local rough coursed gritstone which connects Arkwright’s “Lawns” (Arkwright owned land to the east and west) to Cromford Meadows. It is one of the original 6 bridges built over the Dewent Valley stretch of Cromford canal between 1792/4, designed by the canal engineers Jessop and Outram. The bridge gave direct access to the fields either side of the canal with the canal footpath passing under on the east bank.

In December 2001, the Derwent Valley Mills in Derbyshire was inscribed on the World Heritage List. This international designation confirms the outstanding importance of the area as the birthplace of the factory system where in the 18th Century water power was successfully harnessed for textile production.

Find out more information about the history of Cromford Canal here

You can also find out what else there is to see and do along the Cromford Canal here

 

Cromford Wharf – Counting House

4th July 2017 by

Nathaniel Wheatcroft’s staff outside the Counting Office

The Counting House was built in 1794 as part of the original canal construction. The building is a two storey irregular polygon structure of course dressed sandstone with a welsh slate roof. The building stands at the entrance to the wharf and would have been where the recording and control of goods into and out of the wharf would have taken place. The rougher stonework of the lower level and tooled finish and finer coursing of the upper suggests that this was initially a more basic single storey building, perhaps enlarged when the second arm of the canal and adjacent second warehouse were built. The building’s irregular shape is the result of being built on the small area of land between the gates to the wharf from Mill Lane and the culvert which brought the water to the canal from Cromford Mill yard.

[Read more…] about Cromford Wharf – Counting House

Cromford Wharf – The Gothic Warehouse and Loading Dock / Canopy

4th July 2017 by

The Gothic Warehouse with barges and goods being loaded and unloaded

The Gothic Warehouse was built by the canal company for Wheatcrofts, the principle canal carrier in 1874. The warehouse is built of coarse and dressed sandstone with two storeys and a semi basement. The roof is constructed from welsh slates with a canopy structure spanning over the canal and loading dock.  The canopy was added in 1814. The north west gable facing Willersley Castle (the intended home for Sir Richard Arkwright) has a castellated parapet which is where it got its name, the Gothic Warehouse. The warehouse is aligned parallel to the canal with taking in doors on all sides but the North West side.  It would have been used to store goods bought or being transported along the canal. The sign over the North West doorway says N Wheatcroft & Sons Ltd, see if you can find out what merchants they were from the sign.

[Read more…] about Cromford Wharf – The Gothic Warehouse and Loading Dock / Canopy

Cromford Canal – Cromford Wharf

30th June 2017 by

W Dawes & Sons boat “Shamrock” waits to be loaded, in the background you can see the Gothic Warehouse, St Mary’s Church and Willersley Castle

The General Wharf at Cromford was the original wharf completed with the canal in 1794. The Cromford Canal Act of 1789 provided for two alternative wharf locations.  One was on the meadows near to the present railway bridge.  The second was the option chosen and built, opposite the Cromford Mill and taking part of the garden of Rock House, the then home of Sir Richard Arkwright. Initially the wharf was built as a single canal channel and gothic warehouse.  The wharf area was extended in 1824 by the building of a parallel second canal arm from the present winding hole. The Wharf was the headquarters of the canal carriers Wheatcrofts until they moved to Bullbridge. The goods handled included coal, timber, limestone, agricultural and domestic items.                   [Read more…] about Cromford Canal – Cromford Wharf

Sheep Pasture Incline and Engine House

29th June 2017 by

Railwayman attaches a truck to the cable on Sheep Pasture Incline.

 

Engine House at Sheep Pasture Top. Railwayman checks truck before it descends.

 

Sheep Pasture Incline in-use in 1950’s

The Cromford and High Peak Railway (C&HPR) was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal at Cromford Wharf and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge.  The first part of the line opened in 1830 and from the canal it climbed over a thousand feet in five miles (over 330 m in 8 km), through four inclines beginning with the 1 in 8 Sheep Pasture Incline.

[Read more…] about Sheep Pasture Incline and Engine House

Middleton Top Incline and Engine House

29th June 2017 by

Top of Middleton Incline, before 1967.

At Middleton Top stands the impressive and last surviving winding engine from the once busy Cromford and High Peak Railway. Although the railway closed in 1967, the Engine House stands as a monument on the High Peak Trail.

The stationary steam beam engine was used to wind trucks up and down the steep (gradient of 1 in 8) Middleton Incline and was built by the Butterley Company in 1829, working from 1830 to 1963. This is the oldest working Engine House of its type in the world, although these days electricity provides the power rather than steam.

Steam Beam Engine at Middlelton Top

[Read more…] about Middleton Top Incline and Engine House

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