Cromford Mill, Industrial mill building in Cromford, England
Cromford Mill is a textile factory building in Cromford, England, standing five stories tall beside the River Derwent with thick stone walls and rows of windows. The structure forms part of a wider industrial site that once powered looms and spinning frames with flowing water.
Richard Arkwright opened the site in 1771 as a water-powered cotton spinning operation, introducing mechanical methods that were copied across Britain. The factory ran for over two centuries and shaped how textiles were manufactured on an industrial scale.
The mill complex now functions as an educational center where visitors learn about textile manufacturing processes and examine restored industrial machinery.
Tours begin hourly from the visitor center and cover different parts of the mill with explanations of cotton processing. Most of the site is accessible on ground level, though some historical rooms are located on upper floors.
The operation minted its own coins in 1801 using modified Spanish silver pieces to pay workers during a nationwide shortage of currency. These Cromford dollars were among the few private currencies circulating in England at the time.
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