Torr Vale Mill
Encyclopedia
Torr Vale Mill is a Grade II* listed former cotton mill
located in New Mills
, Derbyshire
, England
. It is sited on a small rocky outcrop at the bottom of the Torrs gorge in a bend of the River Goyt.
The mill was built in the late 1780s, by Daniel Strafford and was known as Stratford's mill. It was powered by two waterwheels to spin and weave cotton
. It was rebuilt in 1856 and a steam engine
was added. It continued to be driven by steam and water till the 1940s when electricity took over. It was still in use producing towelling products until December 2000, the longest continuous period of cotton production in the UK. Since 1998 there have been various plans by the new owner, Chemquick Ltd., to renovate and develop the mill, none of which has come to anything. The Torr Vale Mill Preservation Trust in May 2001 and The Princes Regeneration Trust has also been seeking a solution.
In 2000 Torr Vale Mill was depicted on Royal Mail
postage stamps to commemorate the Millennium Walkway in the Torrs Gorge. From this walkway, on the opposite side of the Gorge, dramatic views of the Mill may be had. In 2001 a fire
destroyed one of the buildings of the mill. The mill remains in a lamentable state and, though now better secured, is at risk of further fire and vandalism
.
In 2010, Chad Bevan, a New Mills resident, won the Munro Trophy in the Derbyshire Open Arts Competition for his painting of the decaying Torr Vale Mill, the title being 'Lowes Mill'.
The Mill is on the English Heritage
'Buildings at Risk Register' of Listed Buildings at risk through disuse and disrepair.
The local Heritage Centre Trust is actively engaged in trying to secure the future of this abandoned building.
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
located in New Mills
New Mills
New Mills is a town in Derbyshire, England approximately south-east of Stockport and from Manchester. It is sited at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Sett, on the border of Cheshire. The town stands above the Torrs, a deep gorge, cut through Woodhead Hill Sandstone of the Carboniferous period...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is sited on a small rocky outcrop at the bottom of the Torrs gorge in a bend of the River Goyt.
The mill was built in the late 1780s, by Daniel Strafford and was known as Stratford's mill. It was powered by two waterwheels to spin and weave cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. It was rebuilt in 1856 and a steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
was added. It continued to be driven by steam and water till the 1940s when electricity took over. It was still in use producing towelling products until December 2000, the longest continuous period of cotton production in the UK. Since 1998 there have been various plans by the new owner, Chemquick Ltd., to renovate and develop the mill, none of which has come to anything. The Torr Vale Mill Preservation Trust in May 2001 and The Princes Regeneration Trust has also been seeking a solution.
In 2000 Torr Vale Mill was depicted on Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
postage stamps to commemorate the Millennium Walkway in the Torrs Gorge. From this walkway, on the opposite side of the Gorge, dramatic views of the Mill may be had. In 2001 a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
destroyed one of the buildings of the mill. The mill remains in a lamentable state and, though now better secured, is at risk of further fire and vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
.
In 2010, Chad Bevan, a New Mills resident, won the Munro Trophy in the Derbyshire Open Arts Competition for his painting of the decaying Torr Vale Mill, the title being 'Lowes Mill'.
The Mill is on the English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
'Buildings at Risk Register' of Listed Buildings at risk through disuse and disrepair.
The local Heritage Centre Trust is actively engaged in trying to secure the future of this abandoned building.