Industrial Buildings and Features
World Heritage Site Listing
Power Station
The lovely area now known as Cathedral Green on the banks of the river did not always look as it does now. Throughout much of the 20th century it was actually the site of a huge electric power station. Originally built in 1893 and extended in 1921 it occupied the site of the old Devonshire Hospital Alms Houses which had been built in 1778. A photo of the site can be found at the Britain from Above website and is reproduced below. The noisy and dirty coal fired power station survived until 1971 - 2 when it was finally demolished. All that remains now is a large electricity sub-station at the side of the Silk mill and it is this that can be seen in the pictures below.
Cromford Mill
Although Cromford Mill is obviously some distance from Derby, it is a fundamental part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site and so I felt that it should be included within this section of the website. Internationally famous as the site of the worlds first successful water powered cotton spinning mill, this site can truly be said to have changed the world. Built in 1771 by Sir Richard Arkwright the site expanded rapidly to include warehouses and workshops. To provide him with an adequate workforce he massively expanded the village of Cromford, creating the first planned industrial housing, a market place and pubA detailed history can be found at the wonderful site of the Arkwright Society
Britannia Mill
This was one of the later mills to be erected along the Markeaton Brook, being erected in 1912 by the firm of Moore, Eady & Murcott. They specialised in the making of high quality knitwear, something new to the town at the time. The company managed to survive until the 1970s.Happily the building found another role – as the home of the universities arts department and survives in this role to the present day
Banks & Son Mill
Originally built as a silk mill, this 1860 industrial building later became a manufacturing site for rope and tarpaulin and was owned by the Banks family In 1999 it was converted into artists studios, a role it continues today with regular open days
Bath Street Mill
This imposing Industrial building was originally a silk mill, founded around 1848 by George Holme. It was extended to its eventual impressive size in 1868 and, at one time, it had its own railway sidings – the Friargate line running right next to the building. George Holmes' firm survived until about 1920 and the building was then let to a succession of different businesses. Although, technically protected by its inclusion in the World Heritage Site, the building lay empty for a number of years until tragically, on 16th June 2009 this beautiful 150 year old building was totally destroyed by fire. The mill site was eventually redeveloped into a large Enhanced Care facility for the elderly
The Maltings, Manchester Street
These buildings on Manchester Street are all that remains of the substantial Strettons Manchester Brewery and maltings complex. The main brewery buildings stood across the road on Ashbourne Road with further maltings on Surrey Street with the Manchester ones behind. Further along the street once stood some cottages for the workers. The buildings were designed in the late 1800s by George Henry Sheffield. All that remains today are the three story malthouse, the kiln house and timber sack hoist enclosure. The main brewery closed in 1929 and sold to local soft drinks manufacturer Burrows and Sturgess, however it was destroyed by fire in 1978. The same fate occurred to the Surrey Street Maltings in the 1990's and the Manchester maltings were converted into apartments
Rykneld Street Mills
Rykneld Mill forms probably the most complete surviving range of 19th century industrial buildings in the city.Built as a silk mill for Thomas Bridgett by Frost and Peet, construction began in 1808 and was further extended in 1817 and 1825 as well as late 19th century additions.The site consists of three principal structures. The first of these is the South Mill (above)which is the tallest at 8 stories with pedimented parapets at either end. This former ribbon mill was built using the fireproof construction techniques pioneered by William Strutt and may be the earliest fireproof silk mill in England.The North Mill is a former throwing mill with the middle structure being a former weaving mill.As well as these buildings the site also retains the engine house building, boiler house and chimney base. On Front street can be seen the original counting house, managers house and what was once the Pheasant Public House.
Tape Mill, Markeaton Brook (demolished)
This small mill on the banks of Markeaton Brook was at one time the tape manufactory of Garford Lilley & Brother. Destroyed by fire in the 1920s these building were constructed shortly after but were unfortunately and unnecessarily demolished at the start of the 21st century to be replaced by a car park for an adjacent block of flats
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse in Derby is the world’s first and oldest surviving railway roundhouse. Built in 1839 as part of a complex of buildings which included the engine shed and carriage shop (both of which also survive) it was used for the repair of Midland Railway Steam trains. It had a huge turntable in the centre enabling the trains to be turned around.It was constructed in 1839 in a joint project by four rival rail companies including Midland Counties Railway, the Birmingham & Derby Junction Railwayand the North Midland Railway, for whom George Stephenson and his son Robert were engineers. The Stephenson’s, along with acclaimed railway architect Francis Thompson were responsible for its design and construction at a cost of £62000.Built of brick, the building actually has 16 equal sides and the interior contains a colonnade of 16 cast iron columns which support an incredibly elaborate roofing system.Despite being damaged by German bombing in WWII the Roundhouse continued repairing trains until the late 1950s. It was then put to other uses before finally being closed in the last decades of the 20th century.Over the years many ideas were put forward for the buildings future but none came to anything and the building was allowed to decay, subjected to vandalism and the elements. However in 2007 Derby College acquired the site and embarked on a £48 million project to turn it into their new engineering campus. Opened by Princess Anne on 6th Oct 2010 the Grade 2* building now looks fantastic with many original features surviving.
Boar's Head Mill
The Boar's Head Mills, or Darley Abbey Mills are an almost unique survival of a complex of structures from such an early period. Although the site had been in use since the early part of the 18th century it was the Evans family who are largely responsible for what we see todayThese mills later became known as the 'Boar's Head Mills' (the Evans family crest was a Boar's Head) and were constructed between 1782 and 1830 by which time the site was employing over 500 people.In their mills the Evans family specialised in quality thread for sewing, embroidery and haberdashery. The site contains five main mills and a comprehensive range of ancillary structures, including warehouses, offices, stables, bobbin shops and domestic buildings. The largest of the buildings is 6-storeys high. The Evans first mill building was almost immediately destroyed by fire, however being insured it was quickly rebuilt and this may be the One that retains what is believed to be the sole surviving instance of the 'proto-fireproof' system developed by the Strutts in the 1790s, based on brick jack-arches and plastered timber beams. A later, 4 story, mill was constructed between 1818 and 1821 and shows even greater fire-proofing design. The roof trusses have cast-iron tie-beams, principal rafters and fish-bellied purlins, all of inverted-T section, two pairs of angled cast-iron struts of cruciform section, and wrought iron tension rods, including under-slung tensioning to the tie-beams. The Evans family were also responsible for much of the village of Darley Abbey across the river, constructing 130 houses, a church and in 1819 a school. Prior to that a basic education for children employed at the mill had taken place on the attic floor of the Long MillOne of the most striking sights as one approaches the complex are the weirs on the River Derwent. These were used to create the head of water which powered the wheels that drove the machinery in the mill buildings. Eventually, steam power was used to supplement the water power.The Evans families involvement in the cotton mills ceased with the death of Walter Evans II in 1903. In 1905, John Peacock, hitherto manager, bought the mills from the estate. The Peacock family ran the business until 1943 when it was sold to J & P Coats of the Coats Viyella Group. Textile use ceased in 1970. In 1969 the sale of the mills for other uses began. Today the site is in remarkable condition and houses leisure facilities, bars and restaurants as well as light industrial premises
Scrap Metal Works
Pelham Street
I came across this small building by accident whilst walking around the city. It was built in 1890 for the manufacture of elastic webbing by the Dean Brothers. In recent years there have been various plans to turns into student accommodation and various residential ideas, however I'm not sure what has eventually been done