Listed Building record MDR9877 - Nos. 14-29 North Street, Cromford

Nos. 14-29 North Street, Cromford, built in 1776. 'Industrial Housing in Cromford shows many two and three storey terraces of the early 18th century, e.g. Cromford Hill SK 292 565 - SK 294 568. The Market Place was built 1790.' (1) 'North Street was built between 1771-76, by Richard Arkwright for his employees. North Street consists of two terraces of three storey dwellings, constructed of gritstone with square sectioned mullioned windows. The houses were of a high quality which surpassed much of the later housing associated with industrial settlements. The houses originally had framework knitting rooms in the attics, and there were larger windows to illuminate these working areas, which have been largely blocked up; although the window openings can still be distinguished. At the east end of North Street, may be seen the school and associated schoolhouse, built in 1832 by Arkwrights son, it was enlarged during the 19th century. North Street is probably the earliest example of purpose built industrial housing in Derbyshire.' (2) 'North Street was built in 1776 and was the first of Sir Richard Arkwright's housing in Cromford. The street consists of two long gritstone terraces which face each other across a broad street, comprising 27 dwellings in all. The accommodation is superior to rural housing in Derbyshire at this date and North Street set a pattern for what was to follow elsewhere in Cromford, although it exhibits a higher standard of construction and design than some of the later houses in the community. The mixture of leaded lights and sashes on two storeys and doorways which echo classical design features convey a social pretension which would not have been lost on the skilled workers Arkwright sought to attract to Cromford. Sash windows would have been generally reserved for farmers or the commercial classes in this part of Derbyshire at this time. Provision for domestic accommodation was on the ground and first floors with workshop space on the top floor, characterised externally by distinctive 'weavers' windows'. These workshops enabled members of the family not employed within the mills to earn an income. When these houses were built they were intended for weavers and their families.' (3) 'Contemporary opinions were favourable towards the standard of housing Arkwright provided for his mill workers. John Farey in 1813 found them "neat and comfortable", their tenants " much better provided … than they commonly are in the Southern Counties of England", while in 1836 Peter Gaskell, a critic of the factory system, listed the Arkwrights' cottages among those "often exhibiting signs of comfort and cleanliness highly honourable to the proprietor and the occupants".' (4) 'Most of Cromford Village dates from the period of the expansion of Arkwright's mills from 1771 to 1830. Only a small proportion was built by Arkwright. Attic rooms at the top of the three storey houses were rooms for hand weaving.' (5) From the National Heritage List for England: '1390 NORTH STREET CROMFORD The Arkwright Houses Nos 14-29 (consec) SK 2956 668/1/16C 21.1.64 II* Row of 16 houses. Built 1776-7 by Richard Arkwright to accommodate textile workers. Coursed rubble; tiled roofs. Brick ridge stacks. This and the row opposite (nos 1-11) are the first of the workers' houses erected by Arkwright and mark an important stage in the development of the textile industry and workers' housing in that they provided both accommodation for the workers at his new Cromford Mill and workshop space on the second floor. The unnumbered house, although part of the row, is double fronted and had no workshop and was probably the manager's house. Originally single unit with services to rear (the earliest services appear to have been small gabled wings to the rear: see gable scars). 3 storeys, two domestic and the top floor for workshops which it is understood extended uninterrupted along the entire floor of the row. Side stairs against end and party walls behind and to one side of the front entrance; 2-bay front elevations, the entrance bay with no windows above to 1st floor; the other with 2-light stone mullioned windows to ground and 1st floor and 4-light windows to 2nd (workshop) floor. Doorways with substantial rectangular lintels and crude capitals and bases to imposts, all tooled. The windows originally had one fixed and leaded casement and one sliding sash. Moulded stone eaves cornice extends along entire length of row. The full set of 4-light workshop windows survives to nos 15, 16, 19, 24, 25 and 26 only, all others have 2 lights blocked; all 2nd-floor windows with casements, the complete sets with leaded lights. First and ground floor windows either with casements or with the renewed original scheme of fixed casement and sash. Rear of nos 22-27 with 1;later storeyed outshuts with 2-light windows of varying sizes, generally with C20 casements; 2 large brick stacks break lean-to roof; these outshuts post-date the 1841 Tithe Map. Listing NGR: SK2944656735.' (6)