Journey to the Dawn of the Industrial Revolution

Location

Central Derbyshire

OutdoorLads shares the exact meeting point with people who have signed up, closer to the date. See the OutdoorLads listing for details.

About this event

This event is intended for attendees of BIG20: THE Celebration EventJoin me for a walk from the hostel to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cromford Mills, built in 1771 by Sir Richard Arkwright and regarded as the birthplace of the modern factory system. Along the way, we'll see much of the infrastructure that powered the Industrial Revolution in this area.We're booked in for a guided tour of the mills at 13:00, which will take about 90 minutes.The sightsHigh Peak Trail: This 17-mile walking & cycling trail was created in 1971 from the route of the former Cromford & High Peak Railway which was opened in 1831 to carry minerals & goods between the Cromford Canal and the Peak Forest Canal. Parts of the line, including at the Cromford end, were much too steep for conventional locomotives, and so the entire trains were pulled up & down these sections by stationary engines. With the decline in traffic from local quarries, the line was finally closed in October 1967.Sheep Pasture Engine House: Built in 1828 as part of the Cromford & High Peak Railway & originally housing a beam engine to haul wagons up the 3/4 mile, 1-in-8 incline from the Cromford Canal. The engine was replaced by a converted railway locomotive in 1883 & by an electric winder in 1964 before the line closed in 1967.Cromford Canal: This 14-mile canal ran from the Erewash Canal northwards to Cromford Wharf and was completed in 1794. It transported coal & minerals for the nascent Industrial Revolution, and allowed the transport of finished goods such as spun cotton from Arkwright's mill at Cromford. It was abandoned by the mid-20th century, after which it has gradually been restored for its amenity value.Leawood Pump House: Built in 1849 to pump water from the River Derwent into Cromford Canal, this wonderful piece of industrial archaeology ran continuously until 1944 shifting 39,000 tons of water a day from the Derwent. It was restored after 1979 and remains in full working order.Cromford Mills: This is world's first water-powered cotton spinning mill, developed by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1771. The mill structure is a grade-I listed building and the centrepiece of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site.The original mill was a five-storey structure built by Arkwright to make use of the abundant water supply at Cromford to power his invention of a water-powered spinning frame, which transformed the production rate of cotton fabric. From the outset, Arkwright ran the mill 24 hours a day in two 12-hour shifts. This required many more workers than the area could provide, so he also constructed housing & facilities to accommodate incomers. Although it was not the first factory, Cromford can be said to be the world's first successful factory complex that pioneered the future of the Industrial Revolution.The mills ceased cotton production in the mid-19th century, and after other uses, were bought by conservation charity The Arkwright Society in 1979 for conversion into a heritage site. Designation as part of the Derwent Valley Mills WHS came in 2001.The route (please click the link to see it at the Ordnance Survey)We'll head a short distance south from Mount Cook to access the High Peak Trail, and follow this for about 4km to reach the River Derwent at High Peak junction. The last 1.5km of this section involves a 140m descent. From the junction, we'll divert a short distance to have a look at Leawood Pump House, before retracing our steps and then following the Cromford Canal all the way to Cromford Wharf, next to the mill complex.After our visit to the mill, we'll head out of the village via Cromford Hill to eventually rejoin the High Peak Trail at Dimons Dale and follow it back to Mount Cook.Picture credits: Cromford Mills: Photo (c) Graham Horn (cc-by-sa/2.0) (header); Cromford Mills: Photo (c) Malcolm Neal (cc-by-sa/2.0); Sheep Pasture Engine House: Photo (c) Graham Hogg (cc-by-sa/2.0); High Peak Junction: Photo (c) Mat Fascione (cc-by-sa/2.0); Cromford Canal Plaque: Photo (c) David Dixon (cc-by-sa/2.0); Leawood Pump House: Photo (c) Gareth James (cc-by-sa/2.0); Cromford Wharf: Photo (c) Chris Allen (cc-by-sa/2.0); Cromford Village: Photo (c) Andrew Hill (cc-by-sa/2.0). These pictures are copyrighted but are licensed for reuse under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 2.0 and are here attributed to their copyright holders.