Monument record MDR3529 - Rutland Works/Smith's Woodyard site, near Bakewell Bridge, Bakewell
Type and Period (2)
- STONE WORKING SITE (Georgian to Victorian - 1800 AD to 1900 AD)
- SAW MILL (Georgian to Victorian - 1800 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A mill for working marble, on the River Wye near Bakewell Bridge. (1,2).
By 1847 the weir and mill race for the marble mill had been built, with a waterwheel situated between two stone buildings. (3)
Buildings listed in 1847 included, in addition to the marble mill, a house, stable and three 'shops', presumably workshops. (4)
The marble business was extended to include a timber sawmill section after the original timber yard behind the Manners Hotel had been destroyed by fire in the 1880s. This extension can be clearly seen if late 19th century Ordnance Survey maps are compared. (5-7)
Black Marble Works. A single-storey sandstone building with a slate roof adjoined by a wooden shed with a corrugated iron roof was formerly a black marble works. The two-storey gritstone building to the left of the gateway is also probably a part of the former works. The stone-cutting machinery was removed in 1996. (8)
Prior to redevelopment and re-use of some buildings, an industrial buildings survey was carried out. The complex of buildings has acted as water-powered mills in the processing of so-called 'black marble' and, at a later date, in the cutting and use of timber. Black marble is a form of carboniferous limestone which, once polished, forms an attractive and shiny black or grey stone with a myriad of uses for furnishings and artefacts. Water power was necessary for the cutting, polishing and turning of the stone. The works at Bakewell started in the early 19th century as two small ranges at the north end of the site. They expanded southwards and a large two-storey building with a water-driven turbine was added in the late 19th century. A number of later structures have been removed in recent times. The marble works consisted of two well-built single-storey ranges, separated by a now over grown (and wheel-less) millrace. The east range is intact; the west range ruinous. Neither building retains traces of where machinery for sawing, grinding or polishing the marble would have been located, although various wall openings remain as clues as to how the water-wheel was connected to internal workings. The later sawmill building is of more 'rustic' appearance and has a number of wide openings to accommodate the working of large sawing equipment. Although none of the latter now remains on the site, the setting of platforms, pits and rail beds does allow for a reconstruction of the plan of the mill. This is aided by the survival of a turbine water-wheel, gearing machinery, pulley wheels and belt-drive machinery. (9)
Sources/Archives (9)
- <1> SDR10000 Index: North Derbyshire Archaeological Trust (NDAT). North Derbyshire Archaeological Trust Index. unnumbered.
- <2> SDR6994 Bibliographic reference: Harris, H. 1971. Industrial Archaeology of the Peak District.
- <3> SDR21167 Article in serial: Challenger, G. 1974. 'The Victoria Mill', Bakewell Miscellany. pp 15-18.
- <4> SDR20282 Unpublished document: 1847. Bakewell Poor Rate Valuation. No. 198.
- <5> SDR20284 Unpublished document: Mr Allcock's Notes: Extracts from the Minutes of the Local Board - held in the Old House Museum, Bakewell.
- <6> SDR18789 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1882. OS County Series, 1st edition, scale 1:2500 (c. 25" to one mile). 1879.
- <7> SDR18790 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1896-1900. OS County Series, 2nd edition (1st revision), scale 1:2500 (c. 25" to one mile). 1897.
- <8> SDR18788 Bibliographic reference: Fowkes, D (ed.). 1997. Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology. A Gazetteer of Sites. Part IV. Derbyshire Dales. p 6.
- <9> SDR21168 Unpublished document: Sheppard, R. 1997. The Rutland Works, Bakewell, Derbyshire. An Industrial Buildings Survey.. HER Doc. No. 331.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 220 685 (71m by 127m) (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BAKEWELL, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR2904
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Nov 13 2017 12:43PM