Richard Arkwright – Still Sitting

Cromford’s other claim to fame is as the site of one of the first, or, by appropriate definition, THE first mass-production plant: Cromford (Cotton-spinning) Mill. Richard Arkwright chose this beautiful and wild place to harness water power and re-fashioned the valley in a way which largely survives to this day – only the associated hamlet of Scarthin largely disappeared in the demolition ’60s; I’m writing this among its Pompeii-like remains.The Arkwrights, like the nearby Strutts, Nightingales and Hurts, sold up their estates in the 1920s. The yeoman-like independence of local farmers, hauliers and other businessmen can perhaps be traced to this era. Cottages of two and three storeys in Cromford were sold to their tenants for sums like £75 or even £35 (multiply by 40 or so, for modern day prices). Much of the land surrounding the village was, however, bought by the Key family, owners of local colour-works, while the industrial buildings have since passed to the Arkwright Society. This landowning duopoly is a potent force for preservation of a sort. The grudging subservience that Cromford people once felt, perforce, towards the Arkwrights was transferred to the “Arkwrights” (the Arkwright Society),wrongly believed to be able to stop you doing ANYTHING here. As for the Mills, “the best thing you could do with them is blow them up!” POSTSCRIPT: I wrote the

above a decade ago; let it stand as a record of how things felt then. Now we are part of a WORLD HERITAGE SITE (scarcely merited until the lost Mills of Belper and Milford are rebuilt) and planning controls are even tighter, but a new generation, and a mellowed older generation(?) in the village are more positive and forward-looking. Each year we hold a CELEBRATING CROMFORD weekend!

Sir Richard Arkwright 1732-1792 from a painting by Joseph Wright of Derby c. 1790.

…so, it is the Council who can STOP you doing anything, but they lack the resources to START much- Unlike most English historic villages, Cromford is still a bit of a MESS – noisy and fumey, traffic-dominated, lots of bad-taste renovations. Much of the stone quarried in Derbyshire comes out through the village, a transport bottleneck at least since Roman times.That, to simplify a bit, is what SCARTHIN means, a “narrow gap between the rocks”. This bookshop can’t grumble – accessibilty allows us to live!

Arkwright’s Masson Mill

So, Cromford has been one of the last villages in or near the Peak to go “up-market”, but it has finally followed Middleton-by-Wirksworth into desirability…and, actually, WHAT a place to live! Where else boasts river, canal, road and rail; limestone and gritstone; meadow and moor; woods and cliffs – and services including chemist, butcher, baker, grocer,hardware shop, three pubs, a club, two garages, two hotel/conference centres – there are at least a dozen places where you can eat and a major table-tennis club! Just around the corner a later but grander Arkwright mill, Masson, is claimed by Matlock Bath parish, while Bonsall claims the Via Gellia Mills, just up the valley, the nameplace of “viyella” winter-warms and now a thriving hive of small craftsmen. Masson Mill clocked up 200 years of spinning before being sold and with the help of a big grant, and a multi-storey car park, has bee transformed into a ‘shopping mall, with a working museum that (as with all museums) not enough people visit.’.

For more information try: The Life of Richard Arkwright

Some Arkwright sources

Cromford Guide. (Bayles, Freda & Ede, Janet) 24cm.44. 27ill.3M. Paperback. Scarthin Books: Sep 94. 3.50 0 907758 76 2 (Whitaker UK)
Strutts and the Arkwrights, 1758-1830. (Fitton, R.S. & Wadsworth, A.P.) 22cm.xli,361. Ill.tabs.M. facsim. of 1958e. Cloth. Kelley: Dec 69. 26.00 (at 09/96) 0 678 06758 9 (Whitaker UK)
Samuel Oldknow and the Arkwrights: Industrial Revolution at Stockport and Marple. With Chapters by Arthur Hulme and George Taylor. (Unwin, G.) 22cm.xxii,259. Ill.M. facsim. of 1924e. Cloth. Kelley: Dec 69. 25.00 (at 09/96) 0 678 06767 8 (Whitaker UK)

Book Signing with Roz Watkins

April 21

Local Author, Roz Watkins will be returning to discuss her second crime fiction novel ‘Dead Man’s Daughter’, recently reviewed by our very own Les in April’s Artsbeat.

This will be followed by a signing and is a free event, open to all.

Find out more about Roz’s work here: https://www.rozwatkins.co.uk/

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Poetry Portraits with Jo Bell

April 27

Acclaimed poet Jo Bell will be in our Art room from 11am onwards writing tailor made poems for you!

Come and have a chat about what you’d like her to write about and go away with a poem no one else has.

This is a free, open event to all.

Jo’s books include ‘Kith’, ‘How to be a poet’ and ’52. Write a poem a week’. She’s actively involved in The Poetry Takeaway, writing tailor made poems at Festivals and was featured on Nationwide’s advert ‘Voices Nationwide: Building the Building Society’.

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Scarthin Book Club Number 22

April 29

We will be dicussing Susan Sontag’s ‘The Volcano Lover’.

Copies can be purchased from Scarthin Books (£2 off RRP)

Hot drinks and cake can be purchased on the night. Feel free to bring your own alcohol.

Let us know if you can make it via Facebook, Twitter or contact Ruben or Ella at the Bookshop.

Happy Reading!

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Poetry Reading with Jo Bell and Ailsa Holland

May 4

Cromford, Derbyshire,

As part of the Feminist Book Fortnight, we are excited to announce a poetry reading with Jo Bell and Ailsa Holland aswell as readings from attendees at Jo’s womens’ workshop with us in April.

This is a ticketed event at £6 including a drink on arrival.

To reserve a place please contact Scarthin Books on 01629 823272 or drop by the shop to book.

Poetry Portraits with Jo Bell

May 5

Local, acclaimed poet Jo Bell returns for another session of Poetry Portraits. This will be in our Art room from 11am onwards where Jo will be writing tailor made poems for you!

Come and have a chat about what you’d like her to write about and go away with a poem no one else has.

This is a free, open event to all.

Our new Artist-in-Residence for 2018 is……… Jan Flamank

“I am so delighted to be Artist in Residence at Scarthin from March 2018, and am buzzing with ideas about what I want to do. I will spend time each month in this fabulous bookshop, and make new work that is inspired by the place, the people and the wild array of books! I use mixed media in my artwork, and having time in the shop will give me further incentive to include text and stories in my work, and be influenced by the treasure that fills every room there. Some of this artwork will be visible in the shop, but there will also be work that is hidden, awaiting discovery as people browse the shelves and corners of the shop…..

Please come and find me in the art room, I will be there monthly throughout the year. I look forward to meeting lots of lovely Scarthin people in the year ahead.”