Editing Derwent Valley Mills

{{Short description|World Heritage site in Derbyshire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
|WHS         = Derwent Valley Mills
|Image       = Arkwright Masson Mills.jpg
|Caption     = Masson Mills, Derwent Valley
|ID          = 1030
|Year        = 2001
|Criteria    = Cultural: ii, iv
|Area        = 1,228.7 ha
|Buffer_zone = 4,362.7002 ha 
|Website     = {{URL|http://www.derwentvalleymills.org/}}
|Location    = [[Derbyshire]], England
|Coordinates = {{coord|53|1|44|N|1|29|17|W}}
|locmapin    = United Kingdom Derbyshire#United Kingdom
|map_caption = Location of the mills 
}}
'''Derwent Valley Mills''' is a [[World Heritage Site]] along the [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|River Derwent]] in Derbyshire, England, designated in December 2001. It is administered by the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. The modern factory, or 'mill', [[factory system|system]] was born here in the 18th century to accommodate the new technology for spinning cotton developed by [[Richard Arkwright]]. With advancements in technology, it became possible to produce cotton continuously. The system was adopted throughout the valley, and later spread so that by 1788 there were over 200&nbsp;Arkwright-type mills in Britain. Arkwright's inventions and system of organising labour was exported to Europe and the United States.

Water-power was first introduced to England by [[John Lombe]] at his silk mill in [[Derby]] in 1719, but it was Richard Arkwright who applied water-power to the process of producing cotton in the 1770s. His patent of a [[water frame]] allowed cotton to be [[spinning (textiles)|spun]] continuously, meaning it could be produced by unskilled workers. [[Cromford Mill]] was the site of Arkwright's first mill, with nearby [[Cromford]] village significantly expanded for his then-new workforce; this system of production and workers' housing was copied throughout the valley. To ensure the presence of a labour force, it was necessary to construct housing for the mill workers. Thus, new settlements were established by mill owners around the mills&nbsp;– sometimes developing a pre-existing community&nbsp;– with their own amenities such as schools, chapels, and markets. Most of the housing still exists and is still in use. Transport infrastructure was built to open new markets for the mills' produce.

Mills and workers' settlements were established at [[Belper]], [[Darley Abbey]], and [[Milford, Derbyshire|Milford]] by Arkwright's competitors. Arkwright-type mills were so successful that sometimes they were copied without paying royalties to Richard Arkwright.

The cotton industry in the Derwent Valley went into decline in the first quarter of the 19th century as the market shifted towards [[Lancashire]] which was better positioned in relation to markets and raw materials. The mills and their associated buildings are well preserved and have been reused since the cotton industry declined. Many of the buildings within the World Heritage Site are also [[listed building]]s and [[Scheduled Monument]]s. Some of the mills now contain museums and are open to the public.

The Derwent Valley Trust is now involved in the creation of a [[Cycling infrastructure|cycle-way]] running the entire length of the World Heritage site to promote [[sustainable tourism]] and travel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HOME|url=https://www.derwentvalleytrust.org.uk/|access-date=2021-02-16|website=Derwent Valley Trust|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Location and coverage==
The Derwent Valley Mills [[World Heritage Site]] covers an area of {{convert|12.3|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;13.</ref> and spans a {{convert|24|km|mi|abbr=on}} stretch of the Derwent Valley, in Derbyshire, from [[Matlock Bath]] in the north to [[Derby|Derby city centre]] in the south. Within the site are mill complexes, settlements including workers' housing, [[weir]]s on the River Derwent, and the transport network that supported the mills in the valley.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;10.</ref> The site consists of the communities of [[Cromford]], [[Belper]], [[Milford, Derbyshire|Milford]], and [[Darley Abbey]], and includes 838&nbsp;[[listed building]]s, made up of 16&nbsp;Grade I, 42&nbsp;Grade II*, and 780&nbsp;Grade II. A further nine&nbsp;structures are [[Scheduled Ancient Monument]]s. The buildings are a mixture of mills, workers' housing, and structures associated with the mill communities. The [[Cromford Canal]] and [[Cromford and High Peak Railway]], which aided the industrialisation of the area, are also part of the World Heritage Site.<ref name="DWM 32">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;32.</ref>

==History==
[[File:Derby cotton mill 2006.jpg|upright|thumb|left|Lombe's silk mill]]
In the late 17th century silk making expanded due to demand for silk as part of fashionable garments. In an attempt to increase production through the use of water power, Thomas Cotchett commissioned engineer [[George Sorocold]] to build a mill near the centre of Derby on an island in the River Derwent. Although the experiment was unsuccessful, it convinced [[John Lombe]]&nbsp;– an employee of Cotchett&nbsp;– that if water power could be perfected there was a market for its produce. He engaged in industrial espionage and gained plans of Italian machines. He patented the design in 1719 and built a five-storey mill {{convert|33.5|x|12|m|ft|abbr=on}} next to Crotchett's mill. By 1763, 30&nbsp;years after Lombe's patent had expired, only seven Lombe mills had been built because the silk market was small, but Lombe had introduced a viable form of water powered machinery and had established a template for organised labour that later industrialists would follow.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;93–94.</ref>

[[Image:Waterframe.jpg|thumb|upright|Model of a water frame at the Historical Museum in [[Wuppertal]]]]
As silk was a luxury good, the market was small and easily saturated by machine produced goods. The next innovation in machine produced textiles came in the cotton industry which had a much wider market and produced more affordable goods. Spinning cotton was a more complex process than silk production.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;94.</ref> The [[water frame]] for spinning cotton was developed by [[Richard Arkwright]] and patented in 1769. The machines could spin [[yarn]] continuously and replaced skilled workers with unskilled supervisors to make sure the machines did not break. Water frames varied in size from 4 to 96&nbsp;[[Spindle (textiles)|spindles]]. For these reasons, the water frame became popular and widespread.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;96.</ref> In 1771, Richard Arkwright took a lease on land in Cromford. By 1774, his first mill was operational, and in 1776 he began construction of a second mill at Cromford. During this time, he developed machines for pre-spinning and in 1775 took out his second patent.<ref name="94-95">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;94–95.</ref> With [[Spinning (textiles)|spinning]] mechanised, the other processes involved in producing cotton could not keep up and also required mechanisation. He produced a machine for [[carding]], the process which laid out the cotton fibres parallel, however not all his inventions were successful and cleaning the cotton was performed by hand until the 1790s when an effective machine was invented.<ref name="DWM 96-97">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;96–97.</ref>

Arkwright sought financial assistance, and Peter Nightingale&nbsp;– a local landowner (and grand uncle of [[Florence Nightingale]])&nbsp;– bought the Cromford Estate for £20,000 (£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|20000|1775|r=-6}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTISOYEAR}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}<ref name="94-95"/> Nightingale also built Rock House as a residence for Arkwright, overlooking the mill, and gave him a further £2,000 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|2000|1775|r=-4}}|0}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} to build the second mill and £1,750 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1750|1775|r=-4}}|0}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} for workers' housing. Between 1777 and 1783, Arkwright and his family built mills at [[Bakewell]], [[Cressbrook]], [[Rocester]], and [[Wirksworth]], spread across Derbyshire and [[Staffordshire]]. [[Jedediah Strutt]], who was Arkwright's partner in the first Cromford Mill, built mills at Belper and Milford in 1776–1781.<ref name="94-95"/> Thomas Evans, a landowner in [[Darley Abbey]], bought a further {{convert|7.1|ha|acre|abbr=on}} in the area around Darley Abbey at a cost of £1,140 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1140|1778|r=-4}}|0}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} and in 1782 built a cotton mill in the village.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;106.</ref> Arkwright was paid royalties by those who had copied his machines, although some people risked prosecution by engaging in [[Patent infringement|piracy]].<ref name="94-95"/>

The construction of [[Masson Mill]] in Matlock Bath began in 1783, instigated by Arkwright.<ref name="DVM 98">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;98.</ref> Contemporaneous with Arkwright's expansionism was the entry of Jedediah Strutt into the cotton spinning industry. Strutt had the advantage that Arkwright had already done all the necessary experimentation with machinery, so he did not have to invest in researching new technology. He established a mill at Belper, about {{convert|8|mi|km|abbr=on}} south of Cromford; it was probably complete in 1781. The site was expanded with the addition of a second mill in 1784. Strutt also built a mill in Milford, about {{convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} south of Belper. By 1793, two further mills were added for printing and bleaching. The Strutts estimated that by 1789 they had invested £37,000 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|37000|1789|r=-6}}|0}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} in theirs mills at Belper and Milford (£26,000 at Belper and £11,000 at Milford), and had a return of £36,000 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|36000|1789|r=-6}}|0}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} per year.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;101–102.</ref>

[[Image:Cromford workers cottages.jpg|thumb|left|Workers' cottages in Cromford]]
Arkwright had a reputation as a [[paternalism|paternalistic]] employer who was concerned for the well-being of his employees and their families. A [[Sunday School]] was built at Cromford in 1785 and provided education to 200&nbsp;children.<ref name="DVM 100">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;100.</ref> By 1789, the Cromford Estate was back in the ownership of the Arkwrights, who actively influenced its structure and construction. Cromford was given a market place to act as a new focus for the village. Arkwright organised a market every Sunday and as incentive to attend, gave annual prizes to those who attended most often.<ref name="DVM 100"/> After Arkwright died in 1792 his son, [[Richard Arkwright junior]], took over and sold most of his cotton mills outside Cromford and Matlock Bath. The mills in Cromford and Matlock Bath were probably retained to support the [[Willersley Castle|Willersley Estate]].<ref name="DVM 98"/> Societies and clubs were created in Cromford. The religious affairs of the community were of less interest to Arkwright, and it was not until 1797 that Arkwright junior established Cromford Church; his father had envisaged it as a private chapel for the Arkwright family at [[Willersley Castle]]. The family's attempts to make Cromford self-sustaining through establishing a market was successful, and the village expanded until about 1840. This was even though the mills had passed their zenith and begun to enter decline in this period.<ref name="DVM 100"/>

[[Image:Cromford 1775 mill.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The foundations of the 1775 [[Cromford Mill]] which was destroyed by fire in 1890, with wheel chamber on the right.]]
Richard Arkwright junior was uninterested in the cotton business, and after the death of his father the Arkwright family ceased to invest in the industry. The Strutt family continued to invest, fuelled by the profits of their mills in Milford and Belper. They continued building mills into the 1810s, and by 1833 their business employed 2,000&nbsp;people and had dominated the cotton industry in the Derwent Valley.<ref name="DVM 102-104">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;102–104.</ref> As Arkwright had done at Cromford, the Strutts provided housing for their employees. Belper was already an established village with its own market before Jedediah Strutt began building mills, so he was not required to have as active a role in developing the community into a self-sustaining entity as Richard Arkwright did at Cromford.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;103.</ref> The Strutts provided education, and in 1817 650 and 300&nbsp;children attended Sunday Schools in Belper and Milford respectively.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;105.</ref> Compared with Cromford, whose population had plateaued at around 1,200 in the early 19th century, the population of Belper rose from 4,500 in 1801 to 7,890 in 1831 due to the prosperity of the business.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;100–104.</ref> Darley Abbey also expanded as a worker's settlement although it had no market place, so providing food for the inhabitants was problematic. The settlement doubled in size between 1788 and 1801, and between 1801 and 1831 the population increased from 615 to 1,170 with the addition of much worker's housing. A Sunday School for 80&nbsp;children was established in one of the mills and a church and school were built in 1819 and 1826 respectively.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;110.</ref>

Despite being a major power of the cotton industry in the first quarter of the 19th century, the Strutts' company began to lose out to competition from Lancashire [[mill town]]s. The problem of shifting markets affected the entire Derwent Valley; Lancashire was better situated than Derbyshire in relation to the raw materials and new markets.<ref name="DVM 102-104"/> The mills run by the Strutt family also suffered from a lack of modernisation; although they were at the forefront of fireproofing technology at the start of the 19th century, as the machines the mills used got bigger and more powerful, the Strutts persevered with child labour where adults would have been more adept at using the machinery. The company declined and in the second half of the 19th century some of its mills were leased or sold off to other companies.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;32,&nbsp;102–103.</ref> Although the cotton industry in the Derwent Valley declined, many of the structures associated with the industrial processes associated with producing cotton and workers' housing has survived and there are 848 listed buildings in the World Heritage Site.<ref name="DWM UNESCO"/>

==Transport==

===Cromford canal===
{{main|Cromford Canal}}
[[Image:Cromford Wharf 2008.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cromford Wharf]], the terminus of the Cromford Canal]]
The [[Erewash Canal]], begun in 1777, was intended to primarily transport coal. It flowed from the [[River Trent]] in [[Sawley, Derbyshire|Sawley]] to [[Langley Mill]], {{convert|14|mi|km|abbr=on}} south of Cromford. In 1788, Richard Arkwright asked [[William Jessop]] to estimate the cost of building a canal connecting the mills at Cromford to Langley Mill. The figure Jessop came up with was £42,000 (£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|42000|1788|r=-6}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTISOYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} which was raised within a couple of weeks. Local mill owners Jedediah Strutt and Thomas Evans opposed the proposed canal, fearing it would interfere with the water supply for their own mills, but in 1789 Parliament granted permission to construct the canal.<ref name="Cooper 191">Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;191.</ref>

When the Cromford Canal was opened in 1794, it had cost nearly twice Jessop's original estimate. Between Langley Mill and Cromford Wharf, where the canal terminated in the mill complex, the canal crossed two aqueducts, traversed {{convert|3000|yd|m|abbr=on}} of tunnel beneath some ironworks at Bull Bridge, and fourteen [[Lock (water transport)|locks]].<ref name="Cooper 191"/> Three-quarters of the cargo transported on the canal was coal and coke, while the rest consisted of gritstone, iron ore, and lead.<ref>Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;192.</ref> When the [[Derby Canal|Derby]] and [[Nottingham Canal]]s were completed by Jessop and [[Benjamin Outram]] in 1796, they provided direct routes to the important textile centres of Derby and [[Nottingham]]. In January 1845, the Cromford Canal Company decided to have a permanent pump built to provide enough water during dry conditions. This was made by Graham and Company at the Milton Iron Works, Elsecar. The canal was successful until the mid 19th century when the [[Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway]] extended its line south of the canal. In 1852, the canal was sold to the railway company which accelerated its decline. By 1889 the canal was mostly used for local traffic. It was eventually closed in 1944 as the costs of maintaining and repairing the canal were too great. [[Derbyshire County Council]] acquired the canal in 1974 and the Cromford Canal Society undertook the task of restoring it.<ref>Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;193.</ref>

===Cromford and High Peak Railway===
{{main|Cromford and High Peak Railway}}
[[Image:Chpr workshop.jpg|right|thumb|Workshops and offices at [[High Peak Junction]] – the southern terminus and the junction with the former [[Midland Railway]] now the [[Derwent Valley Line]]]]
In the early 19th century, a canal had been proposed to connect the [[Peak Forest Canal]], which terminated at [[Whaley Bridge]], with the Cromford Canal, providing a direct route between markets in Lancashire and Derbyshire. However, costs were prohibitive and the plan was abandoned. [[Josias Jessop]], the son of William Jessop, believed that a [[wagonway]] would be much cheaper than a canal.<ref>Cooper (1983), pp.&nbsp;199–200.</ref> On 2 May 1825 an [[Act of Parliament]] for the construction of a railway from Cromford to Whaley Bridge was passed. The proposal&nbsp;– backed by [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire]], Richard Arkwright junior, and several Manchester bankers&nbsp;– was ambitious; it was expected that steam locomotives would be used on the line, even though the technology was in its infancy and [[George Stephenson]] did not build his revolutionary ''[[Stephenson's Rocket|Rocket]]'' until 1829. The south part of the railway, from Cromford Wharf to [[Hurdlow railway station|Hurdlow]], south east of [[Buxton]], opened on 29 May 1830, and on 6&nbsp;July 1831 the rest of the line opened to Whaley Bridge.<ref>Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;200.</ref> The first steam locomotive on the line was introduced in 1841; before that, the traffic had been made up entirely of wagons.<ref>Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;202.</ref>

The railway ascended from {{convert|277|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level at Cromford Wharf to a height of {{convert|1264|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level at Ladmanlow, before descending to {{convert|747|ft|m|abbr=on}} at the wharves of the Peak Forest Canal. The changes in height, which would have necessitated many locks for a canal, was relatively easy for a railway. However, for a time the Cromford and High Peak Railway did have the sharpest curve out of all railways in Britain and the steepest incline for vehicles without steam power.<ref>Cooper (1983), pp.&nbsp;200,&nbsp;202.</ref> The construction of the railway cost was £180,000, higher than the original estimate of £155,000 (£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|180000|1810|r=-6}}|0}} and £{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|155000|1810|r=-6}}|0}} respectively as of {{CURRENTISOYEAR}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} but much lower than the £500,000 the canal was predicted to cost (£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|500000|1810|r=-6}}|0}} as of {{CURRENTISOYEAR}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}<ref>Cooper (1983), pp.&nbsp;200,&nbsp;203.</ref> Having been built to connect the Peak Forest and Cromford Canals, the railways fortunes were closely tied with those of the canals. The line was not profitable as by the time it had opened traffic had declined along the Cromford Canal.<ref>Cooper (1983), pp.&nbsp;203,&nbsp;205.</ref> In 1855, an Act of Parliament allowed the line to transport passengers as well as freight.<ref>Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;203.</ref> Although passenger travel became more important to the railway, it went into decline and closed on 21 April 1967.<ref>Cooper (1983), p.&nbsp;206</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:SlaterMillcropped.JPG|thumb|left|300px|[[Slater Mill Historic Site|Slater Mill]] in [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island]], incorporated many elements of the factory system developed in the Derwent Valley, and was built by [[Samuel Slater]] from [[Belper]].]]
The Derwent Valley is considered the birthplace of the [[factory system]].<ref name="DWM UNESCO">{{citation |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1030 |title=Derwent Valley Mills |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=28 May 2009}}</ref> The machines developed in the Derwent Valley such as the water frame allowed continuous production.<ref name="DWM 96-97"/> [[Richard Arkwright]]'s Cromford Mill and the associated workers' settlement provided a template for industrial communities, not just in the valley but internationally. The reason a settlement was built contemporaneously with Cromford Mill was to provide housing for the workers; the only way to secure the labour the mill required was if homes were provided for the labourers and their families. The success of Arkwright's model lead to other industrialists copying him. Entrepreneurs such as Peter Nightingale, Jedediah Strutt and [[Sir Thomas William Evans, 1st Baronet|Thomas Evans]] founded the settlements of [[Belper]], [[Milford, Derbyshire|Milford]], and [[Darley Abbey]] within the Derwent Valley for their employees. As well as the economic standpoint of ensuring a supply of labour, the industrialists were also concerned for their employees and families and acted out of a sense of [[paternalism]].<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;27.</ref>

Arkwright's innovations were not confined to developing workers' settlements; he also had patents on many technologies used for water-powered spinning. They were so successful that rival industrialists risked legal action by copying his designs. His patents expired in 1785, and by 1788 over 200&nbsp;Arkwright type mills had been founded in Britain.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;28.</ref> [[New Lanark]] in Scotland&nbsp;– also a World Heritage Site<ref>{{citation |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/429 |title=New Lanark |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=11 June 2009}}</ref>&nbsp;– was directly influenced by Richard Arkwright and the developments in the Derwent Valley; Lanark was identified as a potential site for a mill on a visit by [[David Dale]] and Arkwright in 1784. Dale later established four mills at Lanark; they were structurally similar to Arkwright's Masson Mill and at least two of the mills used technology developed in the Derwent Valley, although the factory system was different from that used in the Derwent Valley. New Lanark was acquired by [[Robert Owen]] in 1799 who developed paternalism further than had been done in the Derwent Valley, experimenting with education for young and old and social control.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;29.</ref> [[Saltaire]]&nbsp;– another World Heritage Site<ref>{{citation |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1028 |title=Saltaire |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=11 June 2009}}</ref>&nbsp;– was founded in 1853 and featured worker's housing and facilities, as well as other elements of the factory system developed by Arkwright.<ref name="Derwent Valley Mills Partnership 2000 p. 30">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;30.</ref>

In 1774, the British government passed an act outlawing the export of "tools or utensils" used in the cotton and linen industries. As a result, the only way for the new technologies being developed in Britain to spread to other countries was through [[industrial espionage]]. Carl Delius worked in England and gave plans for many of Arkwright's inventions to Johann Gottfried Brugelmann; Brugelmann used the information to establish a mill in [[Ratingen]], near [[Düsseldorf]], which began production in 1784. He named the settlement associated with the mill Cromford. The mill was the first Arkwright mill in mainland Europe.<ref name="Derwent Valley Mills Partnership 2000 p. 30"/> The techniques for spinning cotton developed in the Derwent Valley were also spread to America. In 1790, the United States had fewer than 2,000 spindles which were powered by [[spinning jenny|spinning jennies]], compared to 2.4&nbsp;million machine driven spindles in Britain at the same time. The Arkwright mill was introduced to America by migrants from England, many of whom were unskilled. Among them was [[Samuel Slater]] who was from the Derwent Valley<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), pp.&nbsp;30–31.</ref> and an apprentice of Jedediah Strutt.<ref>Mason (2004)</ref> He founded [[Slater Mill Historic Site|Slater Mill]] at [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island]].<ref>Conrad Jr (1995), p.&nbsp;1.</ref> Many of the technologies developed in the Derwent Valley Mills endured and were adopted for other textile industries; until the mid-20th century, carding was still performed with machinery invented by Richard Arkwright. The factory system made it possible to produce cheap textiles and clothing.<ref name="DWM 96-97"/>

==Preservation==
[[File:Cromford Mill 2008.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Cromford Mill was purchased by [[The Arkwright Society]] in 1979 after the site was abandoned by its previous owners, a dyes and paints company.]]
Out of the Arkwright Festival held in 1971, [[The Arkwright Society]] was formed.<ref name="DVM 134">Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;134.</ref> The Cromford Mill complex was bought by The Arkwright Society in 1979, saving the buildings associated with the mill from demolition. The charity purchased the site for the purpose of conservation and with the intention of beginning restoration. The mills had been contaminated by industrial processes involving pigments and dyes which were stored in the mills after they stopped processing cotton. With the help of local councils, the [[East Midlands Development Agency]], [[English Heritage]], the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]], and at the cost of £5&nbsp;million, the mills were restored and decontaminated. Now Cromford Mill is now used by small businesses and used for education.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk/cromford/index.php |title=Welcome to Cromford Mill |publisher=[[The Arkwright Society]] |access-date=9 June 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080624142827/http://www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk/cromford/index.php |archive-date = 24 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk/education |title=Arkwright Society &#124; Home &#124; Education |publisher=[[The Arkwright Society]] |access-date=11 June 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722195442/http://www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk/education |archive-date=22 July 2012 }}</ref>

Many of the mills built in the Derwent Valley for the cotton industry survive and were reused after the decline of the industry. Some have been reused. Most of the worker's housing survives and is still used as homes. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, local authorities in partnership with English Heritage attempted to prevent the deterioration of the houses and mills by giving advice to owners and using grants to undertake conservation work. When the application for World Heritage Site status was made in 2000, 26 of the 838&nbsp;listed buildings in the area were on English Heritage's [[Heritage at Risk Register|At Risk Register]] and were in a state of disrepair.<ref name="DVM 134"/>

In 2000, the Derwent Valley Mills were nominated to become a [[World Heritage Site]]. Along with [[Blaenavon Industrial Landscape]], New Lanark, and Saltaire (all now World Heritage Sites), the site was proposed to increase the representation of [[industrial archaeology]] on the list of World Heritage Sites.<ref>Derwent Valley Mills Partnership (2000), p.&nbsp;3.</ref> The proposal was successful and in 2001 the Derwent Valley Mills were designated a World Heritage Site.<ref>{{citation |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/143 |title=World Heritage Committee Inscribes 31 New Sites on the World Heritage List |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |date=December 2001 |access-date=9 June 2009 |archive-date=2 May 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502014952/https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/143}}</ref> Its status as a World Heritage Site is intended to ensure its protection; all such sites are considered to be of "outstanding value to humanity".<ref>{{citation |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/about/ |title=About World Heritage |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=9 June 2009}}</ref> The site was listed under the [[World Heritage Site#Cultural criteria|second and fourth Heritage Site selection criteria]]. The Derwent Valley Mills pioneered worker's housing as well as much technology developed by Richard Arkwright, producing an industrial landscape and heralding industrial towns.<ref name="DWM UNESCO"/> The Derwent Valley Mills Partnership is responsible, on behalf of the British government, for the management of the site.<ref>{{citation |url=http://eplanning.derby.gov.uk/acolnet/DocumentsOnline/documents/25731_6.pdf |title=Letter to Derby City Council planning department |publisher=Derby City Council |access-date=9 June 2009}}</ref> In June 2009, [[Bath Street Mill]] in Derby was damaged by fire. The building was part of the World Heritage Site and dated from the 18th century.<ref>{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8103925.stm |title=Historic mill is damaged by fire |publisher=BBC Online |date=16 June 2009 |access-date=16 June 2009}}</ref>

In 2018, the "Cromford Mills Creative Cluster and World Heritage Site Gateway Project" was listed as a finalist for the "Best Major Regeneration of a Historic Building or Place"  in the Historic England Angel Awards.<ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/get-involved/angel-awards/best-major-regeneration-historic-building/cromford-mills/ The Cromford Mills Creative Cluster and World Heritage Site Gateway Project, Derbyshire]</ref> In 2019, the Arkwright Society employed 100 persons at the Cromford Mills site;<ref>[https://www.cromfordmills.org.uk/about About Us]</ref> the restoration expenditure by that time was £48 million.<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/622816a8-3d1f-11ea-a01a-bae547046735 Inside the £130m 'conservation challenge of the century]</ref>

===Museums===
* Richard Arkwright's [[Masson Mill]] is now a working textile museum with the largest collection of [[bobbin]]s in the world.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.derwentvalleymills.org/history/key-sites/62-masson-mill |title=Masson Mills |publisher=Derwent Valley Mills |access-date=28 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927032035/http://www.derwentvalleymills.org/history/key-sites/62-masson-mill |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref>
* Leawood Pumphouse is now a working museum which still does the original job of pumping water from the Derwent to Cromford Canal, Open on selected weekends.
* At Belper, while much of the site has been converted to other business uses, the [[Belper North Mill]] building houses the Derwent Valley Visitor Centre. This features displays of machinery and other items associated with the history of the Derwent Valley textile industry.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.belpernorthmill.org.uk/ |title=Welcome to Belper North Mill |publisher=BelperNorthMill.org.uk |access-date=10 June 2009}}</ref>
* At the extreme southern end of the site, [[John Lombe|Lombe's]] Silk Mill now houses the [[Derby Industrial Museum]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/Derby_Industrial_Museum.htm |title=The Silk Mill: Derby's Museum of Industry and History. |publisher=Derby City Council |access-date=10 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221113752/http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/Derby_Industrial_Museum.htm |archive-date=21 February 2009 }}</ref> This museum closed on 3 April 2011 and was mothballed for over two years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Don-t-allow-valuable-museum-sacrificed/article-3268056-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527085009/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Don-t-allow-valuable-museum-sacrificed/article-3268056-detail/article.html|archive-date=27 May 2012|title=Don't allow this valuable museum to be sacrificed|date=25 February 2015|work=Derby Telegraph}}</ref>
* In October 2013 a programme started to reinvent the silk mill for the 21st Century, incorporating the principles of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths). The museum now opens 4 days a week.<ref>{{cite web|title=Derby Museums|url=http://www.derbymuseums.org/thesilkmill/|publisher=Derby City Council /Derby Museums|access-date=5 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210221707/http://www.derbymuseums.org/thesilkmill/|archive-date=10 December 2013}}</ref>
*The [[Derby Silk Mill|Derby Industrial Museum]] was re-branded as the Museum of Making in November 2021. It houses a series of exhibits about the history of the Derwent Valley Mills and the wider context of manufacturing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Museum of Making {{!}} Derby Museums|url=https://www.derbymuseums.org/museum-of-making/|access-date=2021-07-21|website=derbymuseums.org}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Lists of World Heritage Sites]]

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}

;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation |doi=10.2307/3106339 |last=Conrad Jr |first=James L. |title="Drive That Branch": Samuel Slater, the Power Loom, and the Writing of America's Textile History |journal=Technology and Culture |volume=36 |issue=1 |date=January 1995 |pages=1–28 |jstor=3106339|s2cid=112131140 }}
*{{citation |last=Cooper |first=Brian |title=Transformation of a Valley: The Derbyshire Derwent |publisher=Heinemann |location=London |year=1983}}
*{{citation |author=Derwent Valley Mills Partnership |title=Nomination of the Derwent Valley Mills for inscription on the World Heritage List |publisher=Derwent Valley Mills Partnership |year=2000}}
*{{cite ODNB |mode=cs2 |last=Mason |first=J. J. |title=Strutt, Jedediah |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/26683}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Derwent Valley Mills}}
*[http://www.derwentvalleymills.org Derwent Valley Mills official website]
* [http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/leawood/history.html Leawood pumphouse]
* [http://www.belpernorthmill.org.uk]

{{Derbyshire Places of interest}}
{{Lists of mills in England}}
{{World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom}}

{{good article}}

[[Category:Textile mills in Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Cotton mills in Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Silk mills]]
[[Category:Museums in Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Industry museums in England]]
[[Category:Textile museums in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Watermills in Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Industrial Revolution in England]]
[[Category:Cotton industry in England]]
[[Category:European Route of Industrial Heritage Anchor Points]]
[[Category:History of the textile industry in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Textile mills completed in the 18th century]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions of the Peak District]]
[[Category:Scheduled monuments in Derbyshire]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in England]]