The Arkwright Houses And Unnumbered House To Left Of Number 1

A row of eleven houses, together with an unnumbered house to the left of number 1, was built between 1776 and 1777 by Richard Arkwright to accommodate textile workers. These houses, along with the row opposite (numbers 14-29), represent the first workers' houses erected by Arkwright and are a significant stage in the development of textile industry housing, as they provided both accommodation and workshop space for mill workers.

The houses are constructed of coursed rubble with tiled roofs and incorporate brick ridge stacks. The unnumbered house, which likely served as the manager's residence, differs from the rest of the row by being double fronted and lacking a workshop. Originally conceived as a single unit with rear services, the earliest services were small gabled wings, evident as gable scars. The houses are three storeys high, with the top floor dedicated to workshops extending the length of the row. Side staircases are located against end and party walls behind and to one side of the front entrances. The front elevations are two bays wide, with the entrance bay having no windows above the ground floor; the other bay features two-light stone mullioned windows on the ground and first floors, and four-light windows on the workshop floor. Doorways have substantial rectangular lintels with crudely tooled capitals and bases to the imposts. Originally, the windows incorporated one fixed, leaded casement and one sliding sash. A moulded stone eaves cornice extends along the entire length of the row. Doorways and windows remain largely intact, with the exception of number 1, where two workshop windows have been blocked. All houses have had their original window arrangement of fixed casement/sash reinstated, except numbers 1, 3, 10, and 11, which have conventional casements.

The rear of the row shows blocked four-light workshop windows to the second floor. Single-storey rubble outshuts have replaced the original rear services wings, with the exception of the unnumbered house, which retains its original storeyed wing. A slate-roofed rubble pig-sty or privy is located to the rear of number 9, and is included within the listing.

Interiors of numbers 1 and 10 have been inspected. Room on the ground floor of number 1 features a chamfered and stopped ceiling beam protected by a tongue-and-groove wide-planked baffle. A first-floor room in number 1 was formerly sub-divided, evidenced by a chamfer to one side of the ceiling beam. Number 10 has a stone corbelled fireplace with renewed corbels. The roof of number 1 shows principals with high-set collars, single purlins, all roughly squared.