Masson Mills Matlock Bath

Masson Mills, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire

Masson Mills in Matlock Bath was originally built by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1783 on the banks of the River Derwent in the picturesque Peak District of Derbyshire.

Masson, Matlock

History

Since 1999 Masson Mills has been converted into a modern shopping centre, restaurants, conference venue, and industrial museum.

The red brick structure, which was built next to an existing paper mill, harnessed the water energy of the fast-flowing River Derwent to power Arkwright’s spinning wheels.

This ground-breaking building was to become the model for other factories in the UK such as New Lanark in Scotland and also in the USA.

Thomas Marshall, an American supervisor at the mill in the 1780’s, took the design of the structure back to America, where it became a progenitor of the American cotton industry.

The brick tower at Masson

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Masson Mills was in continuous operation from 1783 until 1991 making them the oldest continuously operating mills in the world. They were the third of a series of mills in the area built by Arkwright.

The mill is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site that includes nearby Cromford and the Cromford Canal, the site of Arkwright’s historic first mills. The industrial museum boasts the largest collection of bobbins in the world.

Access – Getting There

Masson Mills
Derby Road
Matlock Bath
Derbyshire
DE4 3PY
Tel: 01629 760208

The nearest railway station to Masson Mills is Matlock Bath, which is easily accessible by road from Buxton, Stockport, Manchester (via the A6), Derby, and Nottingham. Cromford Station and the Peak District Lead Mining Museum are also nearby.