The village of Cromford is now part of the Derwent
Valley Mills World Heritage site. This view of it was possibly
taken in the mid to late 1940s and looks down the lower slopes
of Cromford Hill towards the Market Place, which was built
in the late eighteenth century by Sir Richard Arkwright[1].
On the right is Victoria Terrace, a row of eight three storey
mill houses. Just beyond them, with their front doors opening
directly onto the street, are more mill workers' homes although
these were built somewhat earlier, at a similar time to the
Market Place.
The road to Bonsall and the Via Gellia goes off to the left,
just past where the small car is parked. Further away is the
crossroads, where the roads to Matlock Bath, to Derby and to
Lea and Holloway converge.
The two buses were North Westerns, but the destination of
the one seemingly about to ascend Cromford Hill cannot be read.
In 1884 Edward Bradbury, having climbed Stonnis (or Black
Rocks), looked down on the village. "Right down in the
hollow at our feet nestles Cromford. The sun flashes bright
beams from the Arkwright mills. There is the church and the
river bridge, and the Derwent, now a band of silver, in the
meadows, now lost among the trees, then radiant in the valley
again, and anon absorbed by the woods of Alderwasley ...".[2] Bradbury
was just one of several guide book writers to describe the
village's setting. The Simpsons mention that the "market
town is noted for its fine scenery in the Derwent Valley and
for its association with Sir Richard Arkwright".[3] |
References:
[1] The Derwent Valley Mills
and their Communities", published by The Derwent
Valley Mills Partnership, Matlock, Derbyshire, 2001.
ISBN 0-9541940-0-4
[2] "Derbyshire
Times and Chesterfield Herald", 4 June 1884.
[3] Simpsons' "Selection
of Derbyshire Beauty Spots, No. 2, Matlock area", no date but late
1940s - early 1950s.
In the Matlock section of the website:
 There is a pedigree for the Arkwright family
Details
of the Arkwright Coat of Arms
Descendants
are named in various Matlock directories and census returns elsewhere
onsite.
Matlock
& Matlock Bath's War Memorials, which includes Scarthin's
memorial
Extract from "The Beauties of England and Wales" (1802), written
shortly after his death, which describes of cotton
manufacturing and has more on the
mills, Willersley
Castle (plus an engraving), Sir
Richard Arkwright and the
area surrounding Willersley.
Willersley Castle, 1802 engraving
Willersley Castle
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