Listed Building: COTTAGES NOS 1-4 (CONSECUTIVE) AND HOUSE, OLD LANE (1067831)

A group of two storey brick built, slate roofed cottages and a three storey house within the boundaries of the mill yard dating from late-C18 to mid-C19. Much altered C20. Nos 1-3 form a terrace at the eastern gateway to the complex. The HOUSE is detached in the north yard of the site. Built by the Evans family. No 1 is a tall, two bay, little altered mid C19 cottage with original sash windows and contemporary rear outbuildings. It appears on a 1852 map. Nos 2 & 3 are rendered and painted and were formerly single bay cottages. They were built by 1826. No 4 is roughly square in plan and may formerly have been two (or even four) single bay dwellings but is now one house. It has timber sash windows below shallow brick lintels. Probably dates to 1792 and is shown on an 1811 map. HOUSE: 3 bay, 3 storey brick built and slated dwelling with a delicately concave front and convex rear. Latterly used as an office and store and much altered. South-western front overlooks approach to mill and it is shown on a map of 1811. These buildings are included for group value only. This complex of structures forms part of the textile manufacturing site at Darley Abbey which traded under the name of Boars Head Mills. The complex as an entity is exceptional in its completeness of survival, and displays important aspects of the development of fire-proofing technology for textile factories. The site forms part of the closely related network of pioneer textile manufacturing sites in the Derwent Valley; Thomas Evans was an associate of Richard Arkwright of Cromford and the Evans family was related by marriage to the Strutt family who had mills in Belper, Milford and Derby. Darley Abbey sits alongside these settlements in terms of both historic and architectural significance, the mill complex retains all of its major early buildings as well as the C19 additions many of which are distinguished by the use of iron roofs. Ref. English Heritage Architectural Investigation Report NBR 33050 AMENDMENT: Darley Abbey 1-4 Cottages Nos 1-4 (consecutive) and House (Formerly listed as: OLD LANE Darley Abbey 1-5 Cottages) (Formerly listed as: OLD LANE Darley Abbey Darley Abbey Mills (East Mill, Middle Mill, West Mill, Finishing House, Enqu iry Office, Toll House, Cottages and O ther Buildings)