A blog on gardening, life by the sea, photography and wildlife

Thursday 11 April 2013

Sir Richard Arkwright`s second mill Masson Matlock Derbyshire 1783

As a retired apprentice trained mechanical engineer I marvelled at his Mill  when we visited and had a close look at all the various heavy machinery involved. While I was taking the photos I became aware at just how much light came in the many large windows and I realised of course no elecric light in 1783. I was also impressed that in those days he was able to visualise the river Derwent giving him ten times more power than his first mill  for the water to run this one. If you are that way it`s well worth a visit as is Cromford mill his first and Chatsworth

Highlighted text is a web link

The mill still produces a limited number of fabrics for sale. The machines are all belt driven the noise must have been awful with the belts slapping on the pulleys with the metallic clang of the machines themselves, no H and S in those days, my grandmother worked in a Derbyshire mill as a child of 10 or 11 she was small enough to reach parts of the machines the adults couldn`t. 




Complex machinery and very very noisy


Carding machine

Overseer`s office


River Derwent the weir constructed by Arkwright

The largest collection of bobbins in the world each one has a coloured reference dot

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12 comments:

  1. Rustic Vintage Country11 April 2013 at 09:11

    That's totally fascinating and that machinery is amazing as are those bobbins in the last photo. What a fabulous trip out for you, if I'm ever around that way (the chances are good) I must pay it a visit. Suzy

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  2. David Ford11 April 2013 at 09:34

    there is certainly plenty to do in that part of the country Suzy

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  3. Flighty11 April 2013 at 09:39

    A most interesting, and informative, post with terrific photos. Having seen a partly restored mill working I wouldn't have liked to have worked in one in times past! Flighty.

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    1. David Ford12 April 2013 at 01:54

      The workers by all accounts were experts at lip reading Flighty it was the only way to converse with each other over the horrendous noise, it accounts for my grandmother being deaf

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  4. Mark Willis11 April 2013 at 10:22

    As the other Arkwright (Ronnie Barker) would have said: "Fffffffabulous!"

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    1. David Ford12 April 2013 at 01:51

      It was nurse Gladys that impressed me Mark wonderful stuff.

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  5. Down by the sea11 April 2013 at 11:50

    It's wonderful that this mill has been preserved. It must have been quite frightening for working in these conditions especially as a child.
    Sarah x

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    1. David Ford12 April 2013 at 01:56

      Sarah looking back at my family history, there were lots of accidents in cotton mills, and lots of deaf workers (read my reply to flighty)

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  6. Wendy12 April 2013 at 02:34

    It's so important that our industrial heritage is preserved like this and it's fascinating that your grandmother was part of this. What an interesting family history to explore.
    And I think the background photographs on your blog are stunning.

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    1. David Ford12 April 2013 at 03:31

      Wendy the late 19th century was hard for workers my great grandfather who lived in north Wales and worked in a coal mine, moved the family to Derbyshire to work in the cotton mills as it was preferable to the awful working conditions down the pits, ancestry is a fascinating subject

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  7. elaine 12 April 2013 at 03:11

    Life was very hard for the factory workers in those days terrible conditions for very little pay - but fascinating for us to see. Fantastic photos David. Love the bobbin collection.

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    1. David Ford12 April 2013 at 03:32

      so true Elaine as my research has discovered

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