Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mill is a water-powered cotton spinning mill situated on the west bank of the River Derwent in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire in England. This mill was built in 1783. It forms part of the Derwent Valley Mills, a

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. Nearby is Willersley Castle, the house

Richard Arkwright Sir Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an English inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution. He is credited as the driving force behind the development of the spinning frame, known as ...

built for himself within the parish of Matlock.

History

Following the invention of the flying shuttle for weaving cotton in 1733 the demand for spun cotton increased enormously in England. Machines for carding and spinning had already been developed but were inefficient and the cotton produced was of insufficient quality to form the warp of the weave. In 1769, Arkwright patented a water frame to use the extra power of a

water mill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production ...

. His first mill was the Cromford Mill in 1771. Masson Mill is the third, and was built close by to take advantage of the greater water flow from the River Derwent. Constructed in brick on a gritstone with stone quoins and window dressings, the original 21 bay 5 storey building was 43.8 metres long and 8.4 metres wide. The staircase and ancillary services were in a central projection leaving production floors uncluttered, This was an important advance in mill architecture. The mill was powered by a single waterwheel which, by 1801, had been replaced by two, a system which continued (with replacement wheels by Wren and Bennet in 1847) until turbines were installed in 1928. In its original form, the mill was built with a high parapet which concealed a low pitch roof but probably at the same time as the second wheel was added c. 1800, the roof was raised, as a result of which the mill acquired a usable sixth storey. A weir was built across the Derwent to build up a head for Arkwright's Mill and a pre-existing paper mill. It is unusual in that it is convex in form, rather than the usual concave. Adams, in his "Gem of the Peak"' (1840) said that Masson Mill 'is replete with the improved machinery employed in making cotton thread'. He also described the night time view as 'exceedingly imposing. The spacious mill, with its hundred lights reflecting on the river and the thick foliage, mingling the din of wheels with the noise of the waterfall'. Buildings were added to the north and west of the mill by c.1835, some of which were subsequently demolished. In 1911, 1928, and more recently in 1998, extensions were added in Accrington brick. The mill chimney dates from 1900, and this and the engine house were the work of Stott and Sons, the famous mill architects. In 1897 Masson Mill became part of the

English Sewing Cotton Company Bagley & Wright was a Spinning (textiles), spinning, doubling and weaving company based in Oldham, Lancashire, England. The business, which was active from 1867 until 1924, 'caught the wave' of the cotton-boom that existed following the end of th ...

. Kelly's (1908) Directory stated that 'the Masson Cotton Mills... give employment to many of the inhabitants' f Matlock Bath By 1922 the Masson Cotton Mills were 'now the property of Sir Richard Arkwright and Co. Limited (branch of the English Sewing Cotton Co. Limited)' and the mill continued to be a major employer in the area. The mill has been extensively repaired and restored recently. The mill is now home to a museum, and formerly, a retail village, but this did not reopen following the

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Hydroelectric power

The mill has had hydroelectric generators installed in 1995 which generate 240 kW.

Gallery

File:Masson Mills and Willersley Castle, Cromford - geograph.org.uk - 1194578.jpg File:Masson Mill, Matlock Bath - geograph.org.uk - 281315.jpg File:Masson Mill - geograph.org.uk - 289069.jpg File:Masson Mills WTM 5901.JPG, Six cylinder devil File:Masson Mills WTM 19 Condenser Carding 5941.JPG, Carder File:Masson Mills WTM 5895.JPG, Platt Bros. mule File:Masson Mills WTM 12a pre1867 Lancashire Loom 5876.JPG, Lancashire loom File:Masson Mills WTM 12b Power Loom 5980.JPG, Yorkshire broadloom File:Masson Mills WTM Northrop Loom 5887.JPG, British Northrop loom

References

External links

Sir Richard Arkwright’s Masson Mills
- official site {{East Midlands powerstations Cotton mills in Derbyshire Former textile mills in the United Kingdom Museums in Derbyshire Industry museums in England Textile museums in the United Kingdom Watermills in Derbyshire Hydroelectric power stations in England Industrial Revolution in England Spinning Textile mills completed in the 18th century Grade II* listed buildings in Derbyshire Grade II* listed industrial buildings Industrial archaeological sites in England