Building record MDR62 - Kinderlee Mill, Marple Road, Chisworth
Type and Period (5)
- COTTON MILL (Georgian - 1804 AD to 1804 AD)
- ROPEWALK (Georgian to Victorian - 1804 AD to 1882 AD)
- GAS HOLDER (Georgian to Victorian - 1804 AD to 1882 AD)
- MILL POND (Georgian to Victorian - 1804 AD to 1882 AD)
- WATERMILL (Georgian to Victorian - 1804 AD to 1882 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A 3-storey gritstone cotton mill built 1804 in the deep valley of a tributary of the Etherow. Formerly owned by the Harrison family (Benjamin Harrison named in directories of 1835 and 1846) and subsequently the Ratcliffes (J H Ratcliffe named in a directory of 1857 and John Harrison Ratcliffe in 1891). It was known as a cotton band manufactory. It is now [in 1984] in light industrial use (printing). (1)
Late 19th century OS maps show a ropewalk and gasometer associated with the mill and situated to the west of the main mill buildings. Marked on the 1st ed. 25" OS map as 'Kinderlee Mill (Cotton)' and on the 2nd edition as 'Kinderlee Mill (Cotton & Rope). (2, 3)
Kinderlee Mill is a four-storey early 19th century cotton mill with blue slate roofs and a round brick chimney. It straddles and completely fills a narrow deep valley formed by a tributary of the Etherow, which comes down from Cown Edge. A the time of survey (June 2003), it was standing derelict and windowless but was in the possession of a property company with plans to convert it into about 50 units for housing. There is a mill pond on the north side, with a sluice gate and headrace leading towards the centre of the mill. A path gives access to the rear, where the size of the mill in relation to the valley is evident. It was formerly owned by the Harrison (1835, 1846) and Ratcliff (1857, 1891) families. (4)
The 1st ed. 25" OS map of 1878 illustrates Kinderlee Mill in an almost identical ground plan to that which remains in 2006. The key differences in ground plan are that the north façade of one block is built out to accommodate the working of the furnace - the remains of which can still be seen on the ground - and that another block is absent. The ownership of the mill can be roughly traced through the Derbyshire trade directories. The earliest recorded owner of the mill was Benjamin Harrison, with a 'Harrison Wright' recorded in Bagshaw's directory of 1846. After the Harrison's, the mill was controlled by the Ratcliffe's in all further mentions in the Derbyshire trade directories (to 1928). By 1997 all industry at the mill had ceased and it had fallen derelict. A building survey was carried out in 2006. Although Kinderlee Mill was found to be in a state of poor repair and very unsafe in places, it clearly still retained much of the floor plan and fabric from its industrial heyday. However, while it was possible to understand some of the constructional stratigraphy of the mill complex, it was not possible to determine the form of the original mill. The millpond and millrace would suggest that it was originally water-powered. (5)
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDR4751 Bibliographic reference: Fowkes, D. 1984. Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology - A Gazetteer of Sites. Part I. Borough of High Peak. p 18.
- <2> SDR18789 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1882. OS County Series, 1st edition, scale 1:2500 (c. 25" to one mile). Sheet II.14.
- <3> SDR18790 Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1896-1900. OS County Series, 2nd edition (1st revision), scale 1:2500 (c. 25" to one mile). Sheet II.14, 1898.
- <4> SDR20876 Bibliographic reference: Fowkes, D (ed.). 2004. Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology: A Gazetteer of Sites, Part 1: Borough of the High Peak. p 20-1.
- <5> SDR19797 Unpublished document: Brightman, J (ARS). 2006. Kinderlee Mill, Chisworth: Desk-Based Assessment and Building Recording.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SJ 995 923 (196m by 88m) (Multiple Site Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CHARLESWORTH, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
| Civil Parish | CHISWORTH, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR1989
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 14 2020 9:58PM