Skip to main content

Building record MDR10399 - Long Mill, Old Lane, Darley Abbey, Derby

Type and Period (4)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

Long Mill, Old Lane, Darley Abbey. The first of the Evans mills, being a 17 bay brick building of five storeys with attic, aligned north-south, built originally in 1782-3 but rebuilt and modified after a fire in 1788. Wooden windows and interior wooden floors supported on cross beams in turn supported by cruciform section cast-iron columns. All undersides of exposed timber are covered with thin iron sheets to aid fire protection. The attic space was originally used as a Sunday School. (1) Long Mill is the earliest of the mills and consists of five storeys and an attic, and seventeen bays gabled north-south. Its present form is the result of rebuilding in 1789 after a fire in December 1788, but four storeys appear to survive from the Evans' original mill of 1782. The mill is of conventional construction, but a form of fire-retardation, consisting of thin metal sheets nailed over the principal timber features, is employed throughout the building. In the early 19th century the attic served as a schoolroom for mill children. A plan of 1792 indicates that the mill was originally served by a cut from the river that ran to the east of the building. Further improvements were made in 1923, when the water-wheels were entirely replaced by turbines which drove D.C. electricity generators. (2) Long Mill is unusual in size, as the internal spans are about 10.6 meters, though much greater spans were achievable in the late 18th century. The typical width presumably reflects not only the size of the machines which the mills were designed to house and their lighting requirements, but also the distances which could be spanned economically by the timber (and later iron) roofs of the period. Rebuilt after the fire of 1788, the mill has iron plates nailed to the exposed surfaces of the floor beams, (an arrangement that may be an original), which are examples of early fire-retarding measures involving modifications of traditionally built structures in order to minimise the surface area of exposed timber. (3) The mill closed in the late 1960s but still flourishes after a fashion, split up into smaller industrial units. (4) Long Mill, Ellison's Metal Products. Mill with carcass surviving from 1782-88, refloored and a storey added circa 1791 to accommodate fourth floor and schoolroom. Two-storey wings at north end added circa 1800. Full height brick water tower of circa 1800. Five storeys plus attic schoolroom. Brick building on gritstone block base with timber floors (mainly transverse beams with compartmented structure at upper levels). Gable end thermal windows (that to north is original) light the attic schoolroom space, supplemented by rooflights. Internal stairwell at north end is original (timber treads replaced in stone and concrete. Fourth floor is set back slightly above a brick string course and was rendered at one time. Early massive graduated slate roof of Burlington (Cumbrian) slate. Ceiling to ground floor replaced in the late 1930s with riveted steel girders and massive concrete slab - designed to provide air-raid shelter. Ground and first floor only in use. Upper three floors and attic not in use. All retain original wooden floors and thin sheet iron cladding to timber. (5)

Sources/Archives (8)

  • <1> Bibliographic reference: Fowkes, D (ed.). 2003. Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology. A Gazetteer of Sites. Part VII. City of Derby.. pp 56-7.
  • <2> Unpublished document: Menuge, A (English Heritage). 2000. Boar's Head Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby, English Heritage Briefing Notes. HER Doc. No. 727; pp 1-2, 4, B1 and Key Plan.
  • <3> Article in serial: Menuge, A (RCHME). 1993. 'The cotton mills of the Derbyshire Derwent and its tributaries', Industrial Archaeology Reivew.
  • <4> Bibliographic reference: Craven, M. 1996. The Illustrated History of Derby Suburbs. p 54.
  • <5> Unpublished document: Morris, M (Mel Morris Conservation). 2004. Study to Identify Candidate Buildings for Grant Assistance and a Review of Conservation Area Boundaries, Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Gazetteer: 14-001.
  • <6> Unpublished document: Smith, S & Pacey, A (RCHME). 1968. Boars Head Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby: Survey No. 33. HER Doc. No. 1856.
  • <7> Unpublished document: Falconer, K (RCHME). 1988. Derby: Darley Abbey, Boars Head Mills - Supplimentary Note to NMR File 33050. HER Doc. No. 1857.
  • <8> Monograph: Menuge, A (English Heritage). 2006. Boar's Head Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby: A Survey and Investigation of the Cotton Mills and Ancillary Buildings Historic Buildings Report. English Heritage Report Series no. 35/2006. HER Doc. No. 878.

Map

Find a placename, postcode or grid reference

Map layers

Base layers

Info

Record list

Tools

Location

Grid reference Centred SK 35387 38571 (22m by 42m)
Civil Parish DERBY, DERBY, DERBYSHIRE
World Heritage Site Derwent Valley Mills

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (5)

  • EDR4382
  • EDR3631
  • EDR3895
  • EDR2336
  • EDR4383

Please contact the HER for details.

External Links (0)

Record last edited

Dec 21 2018 9:27AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.