93-101, Cromford Hill

A row of five houses at 93-101 Cromford Hill, likely built in the 1780s for Richard Arkwright to house workers for his mills. The row ascends Cromford Hill, featuring three distinct roof lines. The construction is of coursed rubble, with Welsh slate roofs on Nos 97 and 101, and corrugated concrete roofs elsewhere. The houses are based on Arkwright’s Phase I design, incorporating a single living unit with rear service areas, a catslide roof, and a three-story layout. A side staircase is positioned against the end and party walls behind and to the side of the front entrance. The front elevation is two bays wide; the entrance bay has no windows above. Originally, the other bay featured two-light stone mullioned windows on each floor, and these survive intact on all floors of Nos 93, 97 and 99. No. 95 retains the original window surrounds, but has lost its mullions. The windows of No. 101 have been entirely replaced. Casement windows are present on all houses except Nos 95 and 101, which have top-opening, four-pane sashes. Each house has doorways with substantial rectangular lintels, featuring crude capitals and bases; the doorway to No. 101 is blocked. The doors are partly glazed and of various 20th century dates. Three red and black brick ridge stacks are visible. The rear of the houses retains most original first-floor openings, with two two-storeyed extensions. No. 101 is deeper in plan than the others and has a side entrance; the absence of a masonry joint suggests that the increased depth is an original feature.