73-91, CROMFORD HILL

A row of ten houses at 73-91 Cromford Hill, likely built in the 1830s, were constructed as housing for workers in the Arkwright mills. The row ascends Cromford Hill and features three different roof levels. The construction uses coursed rubble with Welsh slate roofs on numbers 77, 89 and 91, tiles on numbers 79, 81 and 83, and corrugated concrete elsewhere. The design represents a 2-storey variation on the original Arkwright plan type, incorporating side stairs against the end and party walls. Each house has a 2-bay front elevation; the entrance bay lacks a window above the door. The windows retain their original cambered arches. Doorways feature large lintels cut to an inverted T shape to increase headroom in numbers 81 and 85. The windows and most of the doors are late 20th century replacements. Red and black brick ridge stacks have been renewed on numbers 89-91. The rear elevation retains some original window openings on both floors, consisting of single-light openings with stone surrounds. Reconstituted stone dressings are visible on numbers 89 and 91. Despite later alterations, the buildings maintain their overall characteristics, representing a significant phase in the development of Cromford’s industrial housing, and are contemporary with numbers 49-69, Cromford Hill.