Buildings 1, 7 and the remains of the Second Mill at Cromford Mill

Buildings 1, 7 and the remains of the Second Mill at Cromford Mill

Annex buildings and the remains of a late 18th-century cotton-spinning mill.

MATERIALS AND PLAN

Buildings 1 and 7 are constructed of rusticated ashlar stone, with a brick extension to the rear of building 7. The buildings have tiled roofs, with a flat roof at the west end of building 7. Buildings 1 and 7 combine to make an L-shaped plan. The remains of the Second Mill consist of an elongated rectangle on plan, oriented roughly north-south.

BUILDINGS 1 AND 7: EXTERIOR

Building 1 is four storeys tall, 11 bays long, and two bays wide. The principal north-east façade retains its symmetrical form of regular eight-over-eight sash windows with stepped stone lintels. The sash windows have a wide central mullion, a pattern not found elsewhere on the site. The ground floor has a door opening in the second bay from the south and a wide elliptical arched cart opening in the second bay from the north. The cart opening is around two metres wide with its arch framed by large shaped stone voussoirs.

The south-east façade of building 1 features three bays of eight-over-eight sash windows, with the south bay set back in line with building 7. The ground floor does not feature the windows found on the upper floors. Building 7, attached to the south-west, is single storey, six bays long, and two bays wide. To the rear is a redbrick extension.

The south-west façade is much altered, with the three upper floors of building 1 rendered at the south end where the building once joined the upper floors of building 7. The six bays at the north end of this elevation retain their regular sash window openings. To the rear (north-west) of building 7 is a flat-roofed red brick extension with two blocked openings under stone lintels.

BUILDINGS 1 AND 7: INTERIOR

The principal entrance to the ground floor of building 1 is via a late 18th-century timber door on the south-east elevation. The ground floor is used as a classroom and events space. The floor is concrete, and the ceiling retains its original beams, although the exposed joists above have been replaced. The walls are constructed in rubble stone, largely painted white.

The original timber staircase is situated in the single surviving four-storey bay of the south-west to north-east range, where buildings 1 and 7 join. This bay also houses the building's latrine facilities with small windows and heating system. The stone stairs with brick arched landing ceilings form an effectively fire-protected staircase dating to the late 18th century and run from the ground to third floors with a half landing. This staircase once provided access to the upper floors of both building 1 and 7, until the upper floors of the latter were lost. Each upper floor space of building 1 is entered through a late 18th-century metal door. An additional staircase at the north end of building 1 dates from the late 20th century.

Each of the upper floors of building 1 is currently in use as storage space and is accessed via a large late 18th-century cast iron door on each level.

The first floor retains most of its late 18th-century ceiling structure consisting of large chamfered beams with run-out stops, which support smaller joists above. Carpenters' marks are evident on some beams, though elsewhere some of the beams and floorboards have been replaced.

The second floor is similar to the first, but with fewer supporting beams in the roof structure. It again retains original beams supporting replaced joists above.

The third floor is also open plan and contains the building's roof structure with queen post trusses with struts visible. All of the upper floors of building 1 contain timber flooring and limewashed random rubble stone walls.

Building 7 is a mixed-use space primarily in commercial use. The shop unit at the west end is accessed via a timber door under a large steel joist and features a mixture of ashlar and rubble stone walls with the flat roof above supported by a steel roof structure. To the rear (north-west) is an additional room with painted brick walls and steel roof structure. The retail unit to the east has a visible king post roof structure with stone rubble walls.

THE SECOND MILL

Immediately to the south-west of building 7 are the remains of the Second Mill. The walls stand between 30 centimetres and 2 metres high and are of gritstone on a slight plinth, except the south gable which survives almost to first-floor height with 3 blocked windows. The privy tower at the north end features flushed drainage channels to the wheelpit and the springing of the relieving arch carrying the building over the mill leat. The survival of the masonry varies, with relatively poor survival on the east wall compared to others. There is also variation of materials. To the north, the small amount of surviving masonry above ground is in ashlar, whereas below is uncoursed rubble. It is similar on the south wall, although here there is a single course of ashlar blocks below ground as well. The wheel pit has survived largely intact at the centre of the building, and water continues to flow through it. It is constructed in ashlar, and the west side is curved to ensure maximum efficiency of the high breast shot water wheel. Publicity after the 1890 fire states that this mill was built of brick above a gritstone plinth.