# Bath Street Mills, Derby - May 2008



## crashmatt (Jun 1, 2008)

Called in here after doing the flats in Sheffield, not a huge site, but certainly worth a wander around.

50-year-old former Bath Street Mill, used initially to produce silk and now lying within the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site.

By 1815, multi-millionaire William Strutt had made much of his St Helen’s House pleasure grounds between Darley Grove and the Derwent available for development.

So, by 1819, North Parade, Duke Street, part of Bath Street and River Street had all been pitched. On Duke Street, an iron foundry had been established by Weatherhead, Glover & Co (from 1847, Andrew Handyside & Co).

In 1826, Bath Street only stretched to St Alkmund’s Well but the building of the Bath Street Mill later led to it being extended.

The mill is currently being offered for sale as a redevelopment site at a cool £2m but, as it lies within a conservation area and a World Heritage Site, I suspect its retention is likely to be viewed as important.

Built in brick as a silk mill around 1848, it was nothing like as large as it is today. Then, it was only three storeys high and 12 bays wide with cast-iron attic windows made at the local foundry.

At the north end, there is still a small building at right angles, originally built to house the steam engine which powered the mill. The stump of the chimney stack also survives. In 1868, the mill was extended southwards by a further 20 bays. The architect was S Morley, who failed to make the roof of the new range conform exactly to the earlier part.

The mill had access to a wharf at the edge of the Derwent, linked to the Derby Canal immediately south of St Mary’s Bridge. But the situation changed in 1876-78 when the GNR built a siding connected to a head-shunt at Darley Grove.

The mill’s founder was a local man, George Holme (1813-1896), the elder son of a Derby shoe maker called Daniel.

He was a childhood friend of the future philosopher, Herbert Spencer, whom he spectacularly rescued from drowning in the Derwent by the Long Bridge in 1829. He was 16 at the time; Herbert was nine.

Holme’s elder brother, also Daniel, opted to become a clockmaker but George followed his father as a shoemaker, taking over the firm on his death in 1840.

Not long afterwards, he was listed as a “boot and shoe & silk manufacturer”. The footwear manufacturing continued for some time after the establishment of the Bath Street Mill.

What made Holme diversify into silk-throwing was a surge in demand for silk goods in the 1840s. By 1857, he had diversified into manufacturing elastic web and gussets as well, a move which later saved the firm.

In that year, the protective tariffs were removed which had allowed English silk- throwing to flourish ever since the industry began in Derby in 1718.

This plunged the UK silk- throwing industry into sharp decline and saw the closure of several Derby firms.

Bath Street Mill was the first to produce silk elastic web on power looms in Derby. It is a testament to Holme’s foresight that the mill was able to expand in 1868.

The rear yards were covered over with weaving sheds for an expansion into the manufacture of woollen goods – another milestone for the firm, for it was the first to produce wool serge and lastings. By 1891, there were almost 300 employees.

By 1868, the firm was being run by Holme’s elder son, George, while his father devoted himself to politics, serving on the council and becoming Mayor in 1874-7. His guiding principle in life, apparently, was “a maximum of work with the minimum of words”.

At the same time as his father was Mayor, George Jnr was elected president of the Derby Chamber of Commerce, a post he held for some time.

He had three sons, George, Wilfred and Maurice, all three of whom were educated at Repton. The former took over the firm from his grandfather, who had resumed control when George Jnr died.
After 1901, the firm began to draw in its horns and almost two thirds of the mill was let to a pair of textile firms.

After the First World War, Geo Holme & Company ceased to trade and its portion of the mill was, by 1925, occupied by shoe and slipper manufacturer Maden & Ireland – an ironic reversion to Holme’s first enterprise a century before!

After that, the mill gradually became a tenement factory.

Looking at the shots, I realised that I've not got any external shots, must go back and remedy that.

Window with peeling paint.




Collage over one of the windows




Marking time.




Double wide lift




A workshop in one of the outbuildings




Another workshop in one of the other outbuildings




Spray Booth




A high level walkway above one of the workrooms on the top floor.




Office corridor with much nice décor




Finally, a super funky sofa.


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## Kaputnik (Jun 1, 2008)

interesting bit of history you've found on the place crashmatt, nice one.


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## thompski (Jun 1, 2008)

Nice one Crashmatt, I went to have a looksie the other week but locals were bricking the place so I made a hasty retreat!

There was proposals to turn this into apartments, however the developers wanted to demolish part of the building for a new block which was opposed due to being in the World Heritage Site zone.


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## shambles (Jun 1, 2008)

good read and nice pics too.


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## discobean (Jun 1, 2008)

awesome pics...nice to know what shaun does behind the bike sheds

and wow what a cool sofa


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## The_Revolution (Jun 1, 2008)

I was just researching this for you!!

But you've done a better job than me - I might have to nick all that for when I get my pictures up on Flickr  - (except they were are really ****; knew I should of taken my tripod.......)

The only thing I can add is that this building used to be surrounded on 3 side by railway lines; some of which is still evident now. As mentioned above one line ran along the river side and under a bridge to a goods yard where the Derby Rowing club now is (I think this was named as the Duke Street yard; even though Duke Street is futher along the river). The other two sides were effectively cut off by the Friargate line which came out of a cutting at the end of North Street; ran past the warehouse on a high level embankment before crossing the siding line and the river on the railway bridge over to Chester Green where the railway continued a high level.

I want that sofa  but not in orange!


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## krela (Jun 1, 2008)

Christ, Derby County fan

That's desperate.


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## thompski (Jun 1, 2008)

Interesting stuff about the Railway lines, I thought there was just the one from Friar Gate to the Midland Mainline!

Shows how much I know about that, might need to read up


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## johno23 (Jun 3, 2008)

A great write up on the history and good pics,nice work and great find


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## crashmatt (Jun 4, 2008)

The_Revolution said:


> I was just researching this for you!!
> 
> But you've done a better job than me - I might have to nick all that for when I get my pictures up on Flickr  - (except they were are really ****; knew I should of taken my tripod.......)



I just did a quick google and copy/pasted the lot


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## smileysal (Jun 8, 2008)

Excellent pics and an excellent write up on the history of the place. Will have to have a look at this the next time me and TnM are around Derby.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Neosea (Jun 8, 2008)

Nice find, thanks for the history


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