Belper Mills and River Garden

The Belper Mills and River Garden are located in Belper, Derbyshire.

The first cotton mill on this site was built by Jedediah Strutt. He began construction around 1776. He had to build weirs and alter the course of the river. Some debate exists on when he completed the mill, but the 1781 advertisement for children to work at the mill is the most likely date for completion. A second mill was added in 1784 and was destroyed by fire.

The arched footbridge was built in 1795, it is a sandstone bridge, linking the two separate areas of the former Strutts mill complex on either side of the Ashbourne road. The archway has gun embrasures used to protect the West Mill counting house.

The horseshoe Weir was built in 1797. as the mill complex expanded, more power was needed than the original weir could provide. It was modified and increased in height in 1819 and 1843.

The fireproof North Mill was built in 1804 out of the lower storeys of the old mill. The fire resistant structure utilised all of the knowledge from experiments conducted by William Strutt. It is now a Grade I listed building.

The East Mill completely dominates the North Mill, it is a huge seven storey building with four corner turrets. It was built by the English Sewing Cotton Company in 1912, using Accrington red brick. It is a Grade II listed building.