Building record MDR10303 - Alexandra Mill, Great Northern Road, Derby

Site 61: Alexandra Mill, Great Northern Road. A substantial complex of brick mill buildings built by William Higginbotham in the 1860s and 1870s. The three storey range fronting the road appears to be the earliest and the architectural details vary between the blocks. Running across the full southern end of the site is a four storey block in dull red brick with a plain gable-ended slate roof and this probably dates from the mid 1870s. Higginbotham expanded from silk throwing to elastic web manufacturing when he developed this complex. In later years it was acquired by R Rowley & Co., the adjacent hosiery manufacturers (Site 69 below), but the whole site is now available for redevelopment. Site 69: R Rowley & Co., Alexandra Mills, Uttoxeter Road/Great Northern Road. Four storey brick mill with cantilevered out eaves and slate roof. The projecting entrances at each end have stone dressings with a feel of Art Nouveau in their detail. This mill was built by Rowleys, hosiery manufacturers in the 1890s, adjacent to Higginbotham's' Alexandra Mill (Site 61 above) which they had acquired by 1910. The site is now available for redevelopment. (1) There is confusion over the description and location of these two sites, so they have been treated as one. (2)