Sir Richard Arkwright - Local Connections

Cromford Mill, owned and managed by the Arkwright Society, represents Sir Richard's most important legacy. Yet, this pioneer of the industrial revolution was also directly involved in a number of other ventures in the local area. Some of these are outlined below. The locations of these places can be found on this map.

The Arkwright Society is not involved in any way with these organisations and is not responsible for the content of their websites. Links to external websites open up in a new window.
Masson Mills was built by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1783 and, under different ownership, was still in operation until 1991. Since then it has become a working textile museum and shopping village with a restaurant. Further details are available here and here.

Willersley Castle is a 200 year old Grade II listed building, commissioned by Sir Richard Arkwright. It occupies a magnificent position less than a mile from Cromford Mill. Construction began in 1790 but Sir Richard died in 1792 before completion of the castle and never lived there. His son, also named Richard, moved into Willersley Castle with his family in 1796 and the family continued to live there until 1922. Designed in the Georgian style, Willersley Castle stands in 60 acres of grounds. See website

It is now owned by the Christian Guild and is used as a hotel and holiday centre. Further details are available on the Christian Guild website (including a history of the castle) and on Wikipedia.
More information on Sir Richard Arkwright is available on Andrews Pages and on Wikipedia.

Further Information on the industrial history of the Cromford area is contained on the Derbyshire UK website as well as on Wikipedia.