Listed Building record MDR3720 - Disused Mill, Chatsworth Road, Edensor
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Disused mill, Chatsworth Road, Edensor, built c1761.
'The mill stands close to Derwent at the southern end of Chatsworth Park. It dates from 1759, having been built by James Paine for the 4th Duke to replace an old mill nearer the house. It was last used to grind corn in 1950 and has steadily deteriorated. The windows have gone, as has most of the roof. The buildings are of stone, two storeys with an undershot wheel, of which only the castings remain. The roof of the wheel house is missing. A large weir in the river diverts water along a headrace, which is channelled underground for the first 100 yards, then emerges and is supplemented by a small stream. The tailrace is all underground.' (1)
'The Chatsworth Estate mill was fed from a weir on the River Derwent. The low breast waterwheel, some 14ft diameter and 3ft wide, worked from a leat taken from the nearby River Derwent. The mill was worked until about 1950 by Wilfred Johnson and was still largely completed but, in 1962, the structure was badly damaged when a large tree fell onto the roof in a winter gale. Presently only the shell of the building, with a few fragments of machinery, including the pit wheel, survive. An earlier mill, further up the valley, was destroyed in the 1760s as part of the improvements to the park by the architect, James Paine. The new mill took several years to complete because the site used was totally new and involved the construction of a weir across the river and associated leats. The weir continued to cause problems and in the 1840s Joseph Paxton, the 6th Duke's agent, sought William Strutt's advice as to how to resolve the matter. The response must have been good since the weir survives today.' (2)
'Derelict ornate two/three storey former estate corn mill with neo-classical elevation, built of dressed gritstone. Wheel pit containing remains of undershot water wheel at rear. Mill stone can be seen against the wall. Fed by a mill leet from the Derwent.' (3)
From the National Heritage List for England:
'PARISH OF EDENSOR OFF CHATSWORTH ROAD SK 26 NE 5/97 (East Side) 5.4.74 Edensor Mill II (Chatsworth Park) Corn mill. 1761-2 by James Paine. Plain classical style. Sandstone ashlar. Hipped and gabled stone slate roof, mostly collapsed. Two and three storeys. South elevation of 1-3-1 bays, the three centre bays advanced and gabled and with a plain band beneath the attic stage. Central doorway with wedge stone lintel flanked by windows with wedge stone lintels and in turn by doorways with wedge stone lintels. Four similar windows above and in the centre a blind rectangular window. Attic storey has a round-arched window flanked by blind-square windows with wedge stone lintels. The mill is ruinous with the external walls almost completely intact and the roof intact at the east end. Part of Chatsworth Estate (Gardens and Park are Listed Grade I)
Listing NGR: SK2592868763.'
(6)
Sources/Archives (6)
- --- SDR24727 Unpublished document: Jessop, O (Jessop Consultancy). 2014. Paine's Mill (Edensor Mill), Chatsworth, Derbyshire: Historic Building Survey.
- --- SDR24728 Unpublished document: Jessop, O (Jessop Consultancy). 2014. Chatsworth River Corridor, Bakewell, Derbyshire: Appraisal Of Archaeology.
- <1> SDR19111 Index: Council for British Archaeology (CBA). CBA Industrial Archaeology Report Card. Watermill, 1970.
- <2> SDR19066 Bibliographic reference: Gifford, A. 1999. Derbyshire Watermills: Corn Mills.. A21, 35-36, Plate 4.
- <3> SDR18788 Bibliographic reference: Fowkes, D (ed.). 1997. Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology. A Gazetteer of Sites. Part IV. Derbyshire Dales.
- <6> SDR19551 Listed Building File: Historic England. 2011. The National Heritage List for England. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1088189?section=official-list-entry.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | SK 25928 68763 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | EDENSOR, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR5176
- EDR5175
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Record last edited
Apr 19 2026 1:29PM