CROMFORD TO DETHICK
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 12
CROMFORD (on the A6, 3miles south of Matlock – SK295566)
Cromford boasts some of the finest examples of industrial housing in Britain, serving as an international monument to the Industrial Revolution. The three-storeyed houses in North Street are among the finest examples of Industrial Archaeology anywhere. The village’s ancient buildings are protected by a conservation order, which encourages their enhancement and repair. In the marketplace, the Greyhound Hotel, built by Arkwright, has been recently renovated.
At the rear of the Greyhound is a large millpond. It, together with a series of ponds along the Bonsall brook, was built to ensure a constant head of water to drive the mill wheels. Overlooking the pond at the rear of the Greyhound, reached by a narrow one-way road from the marketplace, is the old mining settlement of Scarthin.
CROMFORD – SIR RICHARD ARKWRIGHT
Few people who journey through Cromford realise that it was the first purpose-built industrial village and that it encompasses the site of the world’s first successful water-powered cotton mill. Cromford’s revolutionary methods have spread across the rest of the world. Its creator, Richard Arkwright, the semi-literate son of a Lancashire tailor, rose from obscurity to become the first commoner ever to be knighted for his contribution to the industry.
Cromford was nothing more than a tiny hamlet when Arkwright arrived in 1771. He had to attract workers, and to do this, he built most of the village, much as it is today. With the houses he built, he provided all the necessary facilities for village life in those days, including a market and a hotel for visitors. Majestic as the surrounding scenery undoubtedly is, it is not that which attracts visitors from all over the world to Cromford, but to examine the area where Arkwright built his cotton mills and to visit the museum. As a result of Arkwright’s achievements, Britain was transformed from an almost self-sufficient country with an economy based on agriculture and cottage industries into the workshop of the world. The importance of Cromford and the stretch of the Derwent Valley from Masson Mill to the Silk Mill at Derby was recognised in 2001 when it was awarded World Heritage Status.
CROMFORD CANAL (Wheatcroft’s Wharf, Cromford to Erewash Canal at Langley Mill – southern section closed)
The construction of the Cromford Canal was completed in late 1794 to improve the movement of heavy goods in and out of Cromford. Although it was opened after the death of Sir Richard Arkwright, he was a prime mover in the decision to construct the canal. It linked up with the Erewash Canal at Langley Mill, which ran into the River Trent. It provided a connection with Derby and Nottingham, and beyond that, with Liverpool and Manchester via the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Built with two gauges, the canal ran from Langley Mill to the eastern end of the Butterley Tunnel in broad gauge, with fourteen locks. From this point, for the section to Cromford, the narrow-gauge system took over, and there were no locks. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the Butterley Tunnel, 3,000 yards in length, lacked a towpath. The canal soon became very busy, as apart from the benefits it brought to Arkwright’s Cromford Mills, thousands of tons of stone were shipped all over the country from Cromford Wharf. One of the most unusual shipments was two stone lions, which, having been sculpted at Darley Dale, were transported by canal to Liverpool, where they can still be seen standing by the entrance to St George’s Hall. Lead was taken the much shorter distance to the smelter at Lea, using the Nightingale Arm of the canal, a short branch canal, built by Florence Nightingale’s uncle. Today, canal boat trips are available from Cromford Wharf.
CUBLEY (5 miles south of Ashbourne off the A515 – SK165382)
The villages of Great and Little Cubley are known collectively as Cubley. Both have long histories, and St Andrew’s Church, a Grade I listed building, dates to the 12th Century. It contains several monuments of the Montgomery family, who were Lords of the manor for four centuries. A mile to the east along the Old Roman Road, known as Long Lane, is the striking-looking Bentley Hall, which dates from the Elizabethan era.
CURBAR (off the A619 Chesterfield to Bakewell Road, rises up Bar Road from Calver on the A623 – SK252746)
The village stretches steeply up the hillside from the A623 to Curbar Gap, from where there are magnificent views over the Derwent Valley. At the foot of the hill, the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ bridges that divide the village from Calver can be viewed from the Bridge Inn. Curbar Primary School stands nearby and participates in the ancient custom of the ‘May Bough’. When a tree branch is brought into school and decorated with flowers, it is then taken to various venues in Curbar and Calver, where it is displayed, accompanied by singing and dancing.
Standing alone in the corner of a field near the Cundy Graves is a unique 18th-century lockup with an unusual conical tower. Prisoners were held overnight before transportation to prison or court. Later, it became residential accommodation, but in 1935, it was condemned as unfit for human habitation. It is Grade II listed.
CUTTHORPE (on the B6051 Newbold to Barlow Road from Chesterfield – SK348734)
A long straggling village that stretches for three miles along the B6051. Many handsome houses, both old and new, as well as three public houses, line the road. The Old Hall, a magnificent cruck-framed, four-storeyed, square-towered building, situated beside the main road, was constructed in 1625. A short walk away are Linacre Woods and Reservoirs, which attract large numbers of visitors.
DALBURY LEES (6 miles to the west of Derby, off the B5020 Kirk Langley to Mickleover road – SK265373)
Dalbury Lees is a picturesque village, set deep in the heart of the countryside, approached along a network of leafy lanes, a short distance north of Etwall. It has a pub, The Black Cow, and a large village green that is used for community events. A new village hall has been erected in recent years. To the south, the village of Dalbury is smaller but has a church.
DARLEY BRIDGE (off the A6 on the B5057 to Winster – SK271621)
After crossing the ancient bridge of the same name as the settlement, the road heads south through the villages of Wensley and Winster. The bridge is the only crossing point of the Derwent between Rowsley and Matlock. It was once an important packhorse crossing point on the River Derwent, and a reference to the bridge’s existence is recorded in 1504. The bridge has been widened to cater for the increased volume of traffic. There are two public houses in the village: the Stags Head and the Square and Compass, both of which are undoubtedly popular stopping points for walkers on the Derwent Valley Heritage Way, which passes through the village. There is a cricket ground close to Darley Bridge. A notable date in the club’s history was 7 September 1975, when over 6,000 people crammed into the ground to watch a televised John Player League match between Derbyshire and Hampshire
DARLEY DALE (on the A6 between Matlock and Rowsley – SK275631)
Darley Dale lies in an attractive part of the Derwent Valley, on the edge of the Peak District between Matlock and Bakewell. The problem for drivers along the A6 is that they see little of the valley’s beauty on their six-mile journey. Extensive ribbon building hides the view.
Sir Joseph Whitworth, who served his apprenticeship at his uncle’s Ambergate Mill, was a manufacturer of machine tools, promoting absolute accuracy in measurement and the standardisation of machine parts. He is famously credited with inventing the Whitworth screw thread.
Whitworth was responsible for much of the development in the village. He bought Stancliffe Hall in 1854 and had it virtually rebuilt, but did not move in until 1871. A shy man, prone to disputes with other landowners, he built a high wall around Stancliffe Hall to protect his privacy. After his death, his wife founded the Whitworth Institute, a community centre for the people of Darley Dale, as well as Whitworth Park, with its many sports facilities, and Whitworth Hospital. Although not particularly popular during his lifetime, the people of Darley Dale erected an obelisk in Whitworth Park after his death, in recognition of all he had done for the community.
DARLEY DALE – CHURCHTOWN (off the B5057 to Winster from Darley Dale – SK267629)
Churchtown was described accurately by an 18th-century writer as “Churchtown, no town,” as it was only a small hamlet, and still is not much bigger today. It is dominated by the ancient Parish Church of St. Helen’s and its even older yew tree, said to be around 2,000 years old. The medieval church, which features two Burne-Jones windows, is large and impressive. A short distance along the road, past the level crossing, is a church of a different kind, the popular Church Inn.
DENBY (off the B6179, south of Ripley – SK394474)
Denby village was the birthplace of John Flamsteed, born in 1646. He became the first Astronomer Royal, and the Observatory at Greenwich was built for him. There is a memorial garden in his honour, located opposite St Mary the Virgin’s Church, which features a stellar sphere displaying the positions of the stars and planets overhead. Benjamin Outram, the famous railway engineer, was also born in the village.
DENBY POTTERY
Denby Pottery has been manufactured at Denby for over 200 years. The original pottery was established by the Bourne family in 1809, following the discovery of fine clay in the locality, which was well-suited to their requirements. Although the Bourne family no longer owns the business, the name still lives on in the name of the restaurant at the visitor centre.
DETHICK (off the A615 Alfreton to Matlock Road – SK328580)
Dethick is a small settlement comprising a church, a farm, and a few other historic buildings. Despite its size, it has a fascinating history. The manor house, dating from the 15th century, was rebuilt by the Babington family in the 16th century. Sir Anthony Babington, born at the manor house in 1561, was a dedicated supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots. His efforts to free Mary and establish her on the throne led to his capture and eventual execution. In the 17th century, the Babingtons sold the property. It was eventually used as a farmhouse and was substantially altered and extended for that purpose in the 18th century. Substantial elements of the 15th-century manor house remain incorporated into the present structure.
Simon Groom, a former presenter of the BBC TV programme Blue Peter, often mentioned the Old Manor Farm on air, where his parents farmed and he eventually owned. Simon’s dog, Goldie, who appeared alongside him on Blue Peter, is buried in the grounds. The Grooms sold the farm in 2021.
