Listed Building record MDR14882 - Cromford Church of England Primary School, North Street, Cromford
Type and Period (1)
- SCHOOL (Hanoverian to Victorian - 1832 AD to 1893 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building (II) 1248125: CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL
- World Heritage Site
Full Description
Cromford boys and girls schools on North Street were built in 1832. (1)
A grade II listed early 19th century school; comprising of two wings set at right-angles. It is built of stone with hipped slate roofs. Each block has two semi-circular headed windows, altered by lowering of sills and the addition of modern lights; and a plain doorway, that on north side with a semi-circular head and wheel fanlight. The building has moulded eaves and stone stacks. (2)
The school Richard Arkwright junior opened in 1832 remains in use 180 years later, in an extended form. It was built in anticipation of the provisions of the forthcoming factory legislation. The 1833 Act, in addition to its regulation of the hours of work for young people in cotton mills and the prohibition of the employment of children under 9, authorised factory inspectors to 'establish or procure the establishment' of factory schools, though it did not suggest how this might be done. It was left to enlightened employers to take up the challenge of creating a system that combined mill work with effective exposure to education, however limited that might be. In Cromford it was three hours a day. It is evident from the inspection of the Cromford schools made in about 1837 that Arkwright adopted what was first known as the Relay System, and later the Half Time System, whereby the children divided each working day between the mill and the school. The inspector who visited the cotton mills in Cromford in 1839 noted that the school was established about five years previously. The inspector's report describes a boys' school under the charge of a master and a girls' school under a mistress, both having the assistance of one principal monitor and one to each class. 40 boys and 28 girls attended in two sets; three hours each. The school was also open in the evenings for young people who worked at the mill and on Sundays, when attendance was very large. The report states that factory children did not pay for their schooling. Other children of the neighbourhood were admitted on payment of twopence per week, Messr Arkwright paying all the remaining expenses. See source for more details. (3)
The school on North Street was extended in 1893. (4)
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SDR22667 Unpublished document: Procter, P. Historic School Buildings (Derbyshire). p. 1.
- <2> SDR19551 Listed Building File: Historic England. 2011. The National Heritage List for England. NHLE No: 1248125.
- <3> SDR22078 Bibliographic reference: Buxton, D & Charlton C. 2013. Cromford Revisited. pp. 80-1.
- <4> SDR22079 Bibliographic reference: Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. 2011. The Derwent Valley Mills and their Communities. p. 39.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 2952 5671 (35m by 41m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CROMFORD, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
| World Heritage Site | Derwent Valley Mills |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR3865
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Nov 7 2023 3:14PM