Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Cromford (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Cromford Mill, Masson Mill, and Black Rocks. Also, be sure to include Cromford Wharf in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Cromford (England).
Table of Contents
Cromford Mill
Visitor center in England. Cromford Mill is the world's first water-powered cotton spinning mill, developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771 in Cromford, Derbyshire, England. The mill structure is classified as a Grade I listed building. It is now the centrepiece of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a multi-use visitor centre with shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.[1]
Address: Cromford Mill Mill Road, DE4 3RQ Cromford
Masson Mill
Museum in Matlock Bath, England. Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mill is a water-powered cotton spinning mill situated on the west bank of the River Derwent in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire in England. This mill was built in 1783. It forms part of the Derwent Valley Mills, a World Heritage Site. Nearby is Willersley Castle, the house Richard Arkwright built for himself within the parish of Matlock.[2]
Address: Masson Mills Derby Road, DE4 3PY Matlock Bath
Black Rocks
Historical landmark in Wirksworth, England. Black Rocks, is a small outcrop of ashover gritstone, between Cromford and Wirksworth in Derbyshire, the Peak District, England. It is an important crag in the history of British rock climbing, and has some of the most extreme climbing routes in Britain, including Gaia.[3]
Address: Ockerthorpe Road, DE4 4NQ Cromford
Cromford Wharf
Cromford Wharf is at Cromford in Derbyshire, England.
It is located at the northern terminus of the Cromford Canal, which opened in 1794 and ran 14.5 miles (23 km) from here to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire. The wharf stands on Mill Lane opposite Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mill, and surviving buildings include two warehouses - one of which is now a cafe - an office or counting house, and two cottages. The wharf was once totally enclosed by a stone perimeter wall, which included other buildings, but these buildings have not survived.
The yard serves today as a car park.
The Canal Warehouse was built in 1794, soon after the canal opened, and is known as the Gothic Warehouse, after the design of the side elevation. (These Gothic castellations, just visible in the top picture, were probably included at the insistence of Sir Richard Arkwright, who would be able to see it from Willersley Castle, his intended home.) This warehouse was owned by Nathaniel Wheatcroft, a principal carrier on the canal. Today the Arkwright Society manages the Warehouse, having leased it since 1995, where two rooms are used as classrooms, and public exhibitions are sometimes held there. The Society offers tours of the Wharf and the canal.
A second warehouse was constructed in 1824, and was used to store goods awaiting carriage by boat, protected by the overhanging awning. Today a café and wildlife shop are open on the ground floor of this building.
Construction of the Counting House started in 1794.
The Wharf Cottages were built in 1796 for administrative staff.
The canal towpath, which starts at the Wharf, can be followed to High Peak Junction (the start of the High Peak Trail), and as far as Whatstandwell and Ambergate. This 6-mile (10 km) section is listed as a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and also forms part of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way.[4]
Willersley Castle
Willersley Castle is a late 18th-century country mansion above the River Derwent at Cromford, Derbyshire, outside Peak District National Park. The castle has been a Grade II* listed building since April 2000.
Standing in 60 acres (240,000 m2) of grounds, the Classical-style castellated house is three storeys with a seven-bay frontage, the central bay flanked by full-height round towers. In recent years, the property operated as a hotel but was permanently closed and listed for sale in summer 2020.[5]
Address: Mill Road, Cromford
St Mary's Church
Church in England. St Mary's Church, Cromford, is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Cromford, Derbyshire.[6]