Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 03/10/2012

SK 2956 1/16A
1390
21.1.64

NORTH STREET
CROMFORD
The Arkwright Houses
Unnumbered house to the left
of no 1 and nos 1 to 11 (inclusive)

(Formerly listed as The Arkwright Houses Nos 1-11 (consec))

II*

Row of eleven houses. Built 1776-7 by Richard Arkwright to accommodate textile
workers. Coursed rubble; tiled roofs. Brick ridge stacks. This and the row
opposite (nos 14-29) 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 un-numbered 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 doorways and windows survive intact with the exception to no. where 2
lights of the workshop windows have been blocked. The un-numbered house differs it
that it has 2-light mullioned windows to all floors. The original scheme of fixed
casement/sash has been reinstated to all houses except nos 1, 3, 10 and 11 which
have conventional casements. Rear: Blocked 4-light workshop windows to 2nd floor.
Single-storey rubble outshuts have replaced original rear service wings except a
storeyed version to the un-numbered (former manager's) house where it survives
intact. Rear wing to no 11 with 2 blocked 2-light windows to ground, and 2 2-light
mullioned casements to 1st floors. Later openings to end wall. Slate-roofed rubble
pig-sty or privy to rear of no 9 is included in this listing. Interiors. (Nos 1
and 10 only inspected): ground-floor room with chamfered and stopped ceiling beam
and is protected from drafts by a tongue-and-groove wide-planked baffle. lst-floor
room formerly sub-divided (see ceiling beam with chamfer to one side only). No 10
has a stone corbelled fireplace (corbels renewed). Roof (of no 1): principals with
high-set collars, single purlins, all roughly squared.

Listing NGR: SK2946656749

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17545884

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  For the Record