Cromford
Encyclopedia
Cromford is a village
, two miles to the south of Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales
district in Derbyshire
, England
. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright
, and the Cromford Mill
which he built here in 1771. Cromford is in the Derwent Valley Mills
World Heritage site
.
in the Dark Peak
flows southward to Derby
and then to the River Trent
. The geology of this section in the Derbyshire Dales is that of limestone
, and the river has cut its self a deep valley and is fast flowing. The valley floor hosts the A6 trunk road, which was the main road between London and Manchester in former times, and also the Cromford Canal and the Derwent Valley Line
linking Derby and Matlock. The Via Gellia
dry valley joins the Derwent at Cromford.
The village of Cromford lies to the south of the A6 and the river on land rising from 80m to 150m above mean sea level. It is 27 km north of Derby
, 3 km south of Matlock and 1 km south of Matlock Bath. Trains operate from Cromford Station
, on the north bank of the Derwent to Derby and Nottingham.
. Here, Richard Arkwright
built his cotton mill
to make use of the Water Frame
.
The Gell
family, who were local Hopton
landowners heavily involved in the nearby Wirksworth
lead mining
, had the Via Gellia
built to connect Cromford and Grangemill in the late 18th century.
Some cottages and farm buildings pre-date Arkwright's time, but a large part of the village was built to house the mill workers. They were provided with shops, pubs, chapels and a school.
The 20th century saw the development of council and private housing. Dene Quarry, currently operated by Tarmac Ltd for the production of aggregrates and roadstone, was excavated to the south west of the village from 1942 onwards.
In December 2001 a 15-mile corridor from Masson Mill in Matlock Bath to the Silk Mill in Derby and including the mills in Cromford, Milford, Belper and Darley Abbey was declared the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
used certain parts of Cromford, including its historic bookshop, for his film And When Did You Last See Your Father?
, based on the autobiographical memoir by poet Blake Morrison
. Colin Firth
plays the adult Blake, with Jim Broadbent
cast as his dying father.
A quarter of the German town Ratingen
is named after Cromford, as this is where industrial pioneer Johann Gottfried Brügelmann 1783 erected the first factory outside England, using Arkwright's factory as an archetype. The factory today forms part of the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
.
Cromford railway station
is located on the Matlock-Derby
Derwent Valley Line
, and can be seen on the cover of the 1995 Oasis
single Some Might Say
.
, formerly West Derbyshire, returned a Conservative, Patrick McLoughlin
, with 24,378 votes which was exactly the number he polled in 2005.
(1771) buildings and accommodation for workers to staff the factories form part of the Derwent Valley Mills
, which is recognised as a World Heritage Site
for its importance.
The Masson Mill
(1783) s are on the northern fringe of the village.
The Cromford Canal
– built to service the mills – is now in disuse, but has been designated an SSSI. The canal tow path can be followed from Cromford Wharf
to High Peak Junction
, and on to Whatstandwell
and Ambergate
. The Cromford and High Peak Railway
, completed in 1831, ran from High Peak Junction to the Peak Forest Canal
at Whaley Bridge
. Its track bed now forms the High Peak Trail, a walk and cycle route which is joined by the Tissington Trail
at Parsley Hay.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, two miles to the south of Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. Much of the district is situated in the Peak District, although most of its population lies along the River Derwent....
district in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright
Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...
, and the Cromford Mill
Cromford Mill
Cromford Mill was the first water-powered cotton spinning mill developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771 in Cromford, Derbyshire, England, which laid the foundation of his fortune and was quickly copied by mills in Lancashire, Germany and the United States...
which he built here in 1771. Cromford is in the Derwent Valley Mills
Derwent Valley Mills
Derwent Valley Mills is a World Heritage Site along the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England, designated in December 2001. It is administered by the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. The modern factory, or 'mill', system was born here in the 18th century to accommodate the new technology for...
World Heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Geography
The River Derwent, with its sources on BleaklowBleaklow
Bleaklow is a high, largely peat covered, gritstone moorland, just north of Kinder Scout, across the Snake Pass , in the Derbyshire High Peak near the town of Glossop...
in the Dark Peak
Dark Peak
The Dark Peak is the higher, wilder northern part of the Peak District in England.It gets its name because , the underlying limestone is covered by a cap of Millstone Grit which means that in winter the soil is almost always saturated with water...
flows southward to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and then to the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
. The geology of this section in the Derbyshire Dales is that of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and the river has cut its self a deep valley and is fast flowing. The valley floor hosts the A6 trunk road, which was the main road between London and Manchester in former times, and also the Cromford Canal and the Derwent Valley Line
Derwent Valley Line
The Derwent Valley Line is a railway line from Derby to Matlock in Derbyshire.The line follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, which is just south of Ambergate railway station, continuing to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.*Derby*Duffield**Former branch line...
linking Derby and Matlock. The Via Gellia
Via Gellia
Via Gellia is a steep sided wooded 'dry' valley and road in Derbyshire.It is probably named after Phillip Eyre Gell in a mock Latin style; he was responsible for building the road through the valley, and the Gells claimed Roman descent...
dry valley joins the Derwent at Cromford.
The village of Cromford lies to the south of the A6 and the river on land rising from 80m to 150m above mean sea level. It is 27 km north of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, 3 km south of Matlock and 1 km south of Matlock Bath. Trains operate from Cromford Station
Cromford railway station
Cromford railway station is a railway station owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains Train operating company . It is located in the village of Cromford in Derbyshire, England...
, on the north bank of the Derwent to Derby and Nottingham.
History
It is one of the significant sites in the development of the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. Here, Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright
Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...
built his cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
to make use of the Water Frame
Water frame
The water frame is the name given to the spinning frame, when water power is used to drive it. Both are credited to Richard Arkwright who patented the technology in 1768. It was based on an invention by Thomas Highs and the patent was later overturned...
.
The Gell
Gell Baronets
The Gell Baronetcy, of Hopton in the County of Derby, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 29 January 1642 for John Gell, Hopton Hall, Derbyshire, chief barmaster in the wapentake of Wirksworth from 1638–1644. The family gained importance and wealthy through their lead...
family, who were local Hopton
Hopton, Derbyshire
Hopton is a hamlet in the English county of Derbyshire.It is south west of Wirksworth and at the northern end of Carsington Water.The village had a long association with the Gell family who had extensive lead mining interests in the Wirksworth area and lived at Hopton Hall...
landowners heavily involved in the nearby Wirksworth
Wirksworth
Wirksworth is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of over 9,000.The population of the Wirksworth area including Cromford, Bolehill and Middleton-by-Wirksworth is about 12,000. Wirksworth is listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Within it is the source of the River...
lead mining
Derbyshire lead mining history
This article details some of the history of lead mining in Derbyshire, England.- Background :On one of the walls in Wirksworth church is a crude stone carving, found nearby at Bonsall and placed in the church in the 1870s. Probably executed in Anglo-Saxon times, it shows a man carrying a kibble or...
, had the Via Gellia
Via Gellia
Via Gellia is a steep sided wooded 'dry' valley and road in Derbyshire.It is probably named after Phillip Eyre Gell in a mock Latin style; he was responsible for building the road through the valley, and the Gells claimed Roman descent...
built to connect Cromford and Grangemill in the late 18th century.
Some cottages and farm buildings pre-date Arkwright's time, but a large part of the village was built to house the mill workers. They were provided with shops, pubs, chapels and a school.
The 20th century saw the development of council and private housing. Dene Quarry, currently operated by Tarmac Ltd for the production of aggregrates and roadstone, was excavated to the south west of the village from 1942 onwards.
In December 2001 a 15-mile corridor from Masson Mill in Matlock Bath to the Silk Mill in Derby and including the mills in Cromford, Milford, Belper and Darley Abbey was declared the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
Cultural references
In late 2006, Anand TuckerAnand Tucker
Anand Tucker is a film director and producer based in London. He began his career directing factual television programming and adverts...
used certain parts of Cromford, including its historic bookshop, for his film And When Did You Last See Your Father?
And When Did You Last See Your Father?
And When Did You Last See Your Father? is a 2007 British drama film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by David Nicholls is based on the 1993 memoir of the same title by Blake Morrison.-Plot:...
, based on the autobiographical memoir by poet Blake Morrison
Blake Morrison
Philip Blake Morrison is a British poet and author who has published in a wide range of fiction and non-fiction genres. His greatest success came with the publication of his memoirs And When Did You Last See Your Father? which won the J. R. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography. He has also written a...
. Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
plays the adult Blake, with Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
cast as his dying father.
A quarter of the German town Ratingen
Ratingen
Ratingen is a town in the district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the northwestern part of Berg - about 12 km northeast of Düsseldorf...
is named after Cromford, as this is where industrial pioneer Johann Gottfried Brügelmann 1783 erected the first factory outside England, using Arkwright's factory as an archetype. The factory today forms part of the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
Rheinisches Industriemuseum
The Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
.
Cromford railway station
Cromford railway station
Cromford railway station is a railway station owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains Train operating company . It is located in the village of Cromford in Derbyshire, England...
is located on the Matlock-Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
Derwent Valley Line
Derwent Valley Line
The Derwent Valley Line is a railway line from Derby to Matlock in Derbyshire.The line follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, which is just south of Ambergate railway station, continuing to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.*Derby*Duffield**Former branch line...
, and can be seen on the cover of the 1995 Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
single Some Might Say
Some Might Say
"Some Might Say" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. The song was written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was the first single later included in their second album Morning Glory? in 1995, and provided the band with their first number one in the UK Singles Chart .The single...
.
Governance
Cromford has a population of 1,669 (in 1991). In the 2010 election Derbyshire DalesDerbyshire Dales (UK Parliament constituency)
Derbyshire Dales is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....
, formerly West Derbyshire, returned a Conservative, Patrick McLoughlin
Patrick McLoughlin
Patrick Allen McLoughlin is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1986, initially for West Derbyshire and since 2010 for its successor, the Derbyshire Dales constituency...
, with 24,378 votes which was exactly the number he polled in 2005.
Landmarks
The Cromford MillCromford Mill
Cromford Mill was the first water-powered cotton spinning mill developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771 in Cromford, Derbyshire, England, which laid the foundation of his fortune and was quickly copied by mills in Lancashire, Germany and the United States...
(1771) buildings and accommodation for workers to staff the factories form part of the Derwent Valley Mills
Derwent Valley Mills
Derwent Valley Mills is a World Heritage Site along the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England, designated in December 2001. It is administered by the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. The modern factory, or 'mill', system was born here in the 18th century to accommodate the new technology for...
, which is recognised as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
for its importance.
The Masson Mill
Masson Mill
Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mill is a water-powered cotton spinning mill situated on the west bank of the River Derwent in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire in England. This mill was built in 1783 and is sited close to the house Richard Arkwright built for himself within the parish of Matlock...
(1783) s are on the northern fringe of the village.
The Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal
The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....
– built to service the mills – is now in disuse, but has been designated an SSSI. The canal tow path can be followed from Cromford Wharf
Cromford Wharf
Cromford Wharf is at Cromford in Derbyshire, England.It is located at the northern terminus of the Cromford Canal, which opened in 1794 and ran 14.5 miles from here to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire...
to High Peak Junction
High Peak Junction
High Peak Junction, near Cromford, Derbyshire, England, is the name now used to describe the site where the former Cromford and High Peak Railway , whose workshops were located here, meets the Cromford Canal...
, and on to Whatstandwell
Whatstandwell
Whatstandwell is a village on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England.It is about five miles south of Matlock and about four miles north of Belper...
and Ambergate
Ambergate
Ambergate is a village in Derbyshire, England, where the River Amber joins the River Derwent.Until the early nineteenth century it was known as Toadmoor, with no more than a few artisans' cottages. The southerly half of the village was still shown as such on the Ordnance Survey's maps.It is about ...
. The Cromford and High Peak Railway
Cromford and High Peak Railway
The Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire, England, was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge -Origins:...
, completed in 1831, ran from High Peak Junction to the Peak Forest Canal
Peak Forest Canal
The Peak Forest Canal, is a narrow locked artificial waterway in northern England. It is long and forms part of the connected English/Welsh inland waterway network.-General description:...
at Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge is a small town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated on the River Goyt. Whaley Bridge is approximately south of Manchester, north of Buxton , east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census. This...
. Its track bed now forms the High Peak Trail, a walk and cycle route which is joined by the Tissington Trail
Tissington Trail
right|thumb|200px|The Trail at the site of the former Tissington station, now a picnic site.The Tissington Trail is a bridleway and walk/cycle path in Derbyshire, England...
at Parsley Hay.
Notable residents
- George TurnerGeorge Turner (artist)George Turner was an English landscape artist and farmer who has been dubbed "Derbyshire's John Constable".-Life and work:Turner was born in Cromford, Derbyshire in England, but then moved to Derby with his family...
(1841–1910), landscape artist, was born here. - Alison UttleyAlison UttleyAlison Uttley , née Alice Jane Taylor, was a prolific British writer of over 100 books. She is now best known for her children's series about Little Grey Rabbit, and Sam Pig....
, writer, was born nearby at Castle Top Farm in 1884.