Monument record MDR10268 - Former Markeaton Mills, Markeaton Street, Derby
Type and Period (4)
- CORN MILL (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD to 1818 AD?)
- MILL POND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- COLOUR MILL (Georgian to Mid 20th Century - 1818 AD? to 1950 AD?)
- WATERMILL (Medieval to Mid 20th Century - 1066 AD? to 1950 AD?)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Markeaton Mills, Markeaton Street. All that remains of a once extensive colour grinding mill is the large mill pond, its feeder and outfall adjoining the brook course. The colour works was founded by William and Benjamin Challinor after corn milling ceased some time before 1818; later, Ellam Jones & Co. Britannia Hosiery Mill [see SMR18978] of 1913 was built on the south end of the site. (1)
Markeaton Mill (Emery & Colours) is shown on the Board of Health map of 1852. (2)
A survey of 1737 currently provides the earliest evidence of a watermill on this site, although it is possible that one of the three watermills recorded on Markeaton Brook in 1272 also stood in this area. The survey records 'Marton Mill' as being leased to Elizabeth Grovesnor and worth £14 14s 0d per annum. It is not shown on maps of the 1760s and it is possible, although by no means certain, that it was demolished in association with the creation of Markeaton Park in 1760. A map of 1815 clearly depicts a mill on the site. It may still have been a corn mill at that time, but by 1818 was in use as a colour mill. Description of the site in 1837 showed it to be a four-storey mill 'with an upright shaft from the water wheel throughout, capable of having any kind of machinery attached to it'. Fixtures within the mill included a steam boiler, large bleaching becks, vats, stoves and 'apparatus, for the manufacture of Sulphate of Byrites or Dutch Lead, Colours, and Roman Cement on a large scale'. The site was purchased by William Ellam, colour manufacturer, in 1846. Comparison of 19th century maps show considerable expansion and redevelopment by the 1880s, with 50 employees on the site in 1891 and machinery driven both by water and by steam. In addition to the manufacture of paint, the mill also produced emery glass-cloth and paper, and emery corn and flour (polishing products). Trading ceased in 1908 and the mill was demolished shortly thereafter, to be replaced by Britannia Mill [see SMR 18978]. Prior to the construction of a new extension to the Britannia Mill building, three trenches were excavated. These revealed walls and surfaces aligned at a different angle to the present building and clearly pre-dating it. The brickwork indicated a 19th century date, suggesting the features relate to the colour works. The modern watercourse is culverted and runs on the line of the former mill race. (3, 4)
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SDR19527 Bibliographic reference: Fowkes, D (ed.). 2003. Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology. A Gazetteer of Sites. Part VII. City of Derby.. p 10.
- <2> SDR20012 Map: Board of Ordnance. 1852. Map of the Borough of Derby … Surveyed … for the local Board of Health A.D.1852.
- <3> SDR21077 Bibliographic reference: Butterton, H. 2006. Victorian Derby. p 86.
- <4> SDR21023 Unpublished document: Johnson,M and Stenson, M (ArcHeritage). 2010. Britannia Mills, Mackworth Road, Derby - Evaluation Report.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 34095 36873 (279m by 272m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | DERBY, DERBY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR2853
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 15 2020 10:25AM