Cromford Wharf
Encyclopedia
Cromford Wharf is at Cromford
Cromford
Cromford is a village, two miles to the south of Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales district in Derbyshire, England. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright, and the Cromford Mill which he built here in 1771...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It is located at the northern terminus of the Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal
The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....
, which opened in 1794 and ran 14.5 miles (23 km) from here to the Erewash Canal
Erewash Canal
The Erewash Canal is a broad canal in Derbyshire, England. It runs just under and has 14 locks. The first lock at Langley Bridge is actually part of the Cromford Canal.-Origins:...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. The wharf stands on Mill Lane opposite Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright
Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...
's Cromford Mill
Cromford Mill
Cromford Mill was the first water-powered cotton spinning mill developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771 in Cromford, Derbyshire, England, which laid the foundation of his fortune and was quickly copied by mills in Lancashire, Germany and the United States...
, and surviving buildings include two warehouses - one of which is now a cafe - an office or counting house, and two cottages. The wharf was once totally enclosed by a stone perimeter wall, which included other buildings, but these buildings have not survived.
The yard serves today as a car park.
The Canal Warehouse was built in 1794, soon after the canal opened, and is known as the Gothic Warehouse, after the design of the side elevation. (These Gothic castellations, just visible in the top picture, were probably included at the insistence of Sir Richard Arkwright, who would be able to see it from Willersley Castle
Willersley Castle
Willersley Castle is a late 18th century country mansion situated above the River Derwent at Cromford, Derbyshire which is now a Grade II* listed building....
, his intended home.) This warehouse was owned by Nathaniel Wheatcroft, a principal carrier on the canal. Today the Arkwright Society
Arkwright Society
The Arkwright Society is a registered charity engaged in the conservation of industrial monuments in Derbyshire, focusing on the water mills of Lumsdale, Ashford, Cromford and Slinter Wood. It is named after Richard Arkwright who founded the world's first successful water powered cotton spinning...
manages the Warehouse, having leased it since 1995, where two rooms are used as classrooms, and public exhibitions are sometimes held there. The Society offers tours of the Wharf and the canal.
A second warehouse was constructed in 1824, and was used to store goods awaiting carriage by boat, protected by the overhanging awning. Today a café and wildlife shop are open on the ground floor of this building.
Construction of the Counting House started in 1794.
The Wharf Cottages were built in 1796 for administrative staff.
The canal towpath, which starts at the Wharf, can be followed to High Peak Junction
High Peak Junction
High Peak Junction, near Cromford, Derbyshire, England, is the name now used to describe the site where the former Cromford and High Peak Railway , whose workshops were located here, meets the Cromford Canal...
(the start of the High Peak Trail), and as far as Whatstandwell
Whatstandwell
Whatstandwell is a village on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England.It is about five miles south of Matlock and about four miles north of Belper...
and Ambergate
Ambergate
Ambergate is a village in Derbyshire, England, where the River Amber joins the River Derwent.Until the early nineteenth century it was known as Toadmoor, with no more than a few artisans' cottages. The southerly half of the village was still shown as such on the Ordnance Survey's maps.It is about ...
. This 6 miles (10 km) section is listed as a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI), and also forms part of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way
Derwent Valley Heritage Way
The Derwent Valley Heritage Way is a walk along the Derwent Valley from Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District National Park via Chatsworth, the scenery around the Derbyshire Dales, and through the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. It follows the Riverside Path through Derby and...
.
See also
- Canals of Great Britain
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...