Belper River Weirs, Retaining Walls And Sluices To Belper River Weirs

The Belper River Weirs, including the retaining walls and sluices, were constructed between 1796 and 1797, following the establishment of the West Mill in 1795. This impressive concave weir was built by Jedidiah Strutt on a gritstone reef to harness water power for his mills, utilizing a system of water channels and wheels to generate a total of 500 horsepower. To the north of the weir, there are sluices and floodgates featuring four segmental-headed ashlar arches that support a footpath for the weirs. Additional sluices direct water to channels beneath the mills, and there is another weir located on the west side of the bridge. The stone caged retaining walls extend from both sides of the river bridge to the weirs, creating a picturesque setting.