Last year, after my first Luminated Threads novel came out, I was describing the setting of Derbyshire, England to my eighty-eight-year-old aunt. She knew immediately where I had placed my story: “The Midlands! David Winter as a collection set there.”
My aunt collected David Winter cottages through the 1980s and 90s. I’d always thought they were cute, especially how she decorated her mantle with the larger snow-covered houses, evergreen trees and white lights in the winter. But I had never realized how the craftsmen–David Winter and John Hine–had captured bits of history with the cottages. Each piece comes with a description. Now that I’ve delved into British farming–albeit mostly in my fantasy world–I’ve found these fascinating reading and have even picked up a few story ideas.
Long story short, my aunt is dissolving her collection and offered me The Midlands Collection, as well as a number of other British farm cottages. I’m delighted! I’ve been taking them home as carry-on during my flights, so have only taken possession of a few. The most recent is The Derbyshire Mill.
This lovely brick example of an Industrial Revolution mill is not the silk mill in Derby itself, but is based on the mill at Cromford, the world’s first water-powered cotton spinning mill built by Richard Arkwright in 1771. The village of Cromford lies on the River Derwent, north of Derby and just south of Mattock. If you read The Unraveling, Annmar takes the Derwent Valley train from Derby to Rowsley, and would have gone through Cromford.
I did a little reading up on Cromford, and was delighted to learn these mills are being preserved: “In December 2001 a 15-mile corridor from Masson Mill in Matlock Bath to the Silk Mill in Derby and including the mills in Cromford, Milford, Belper and Darley Abbey was declared the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.[3]”
The River Derwent is featured prominently on the piece, including a loaded barge to transport the goods.
But my favorite feature is the large, arched windows with their many panes of glass, exactly what I imagined Shearing Enterprises looked like in my stories.
My aunt saved both the boxes and the paperwork that came with her cottages, so I have the original description that was included:
The Derbyshire Mill takes as its inspiration Richard Arkwright’s mill at Cromford, the world’s first water-powered cotton spinning mill.
Of humble background, Arkwright rose to become the first English cotton magnate. Although he was still having daily spelling lessons at the age of 50, he knew instinctively how to develop ideas and boost the productivity of his workforce.
The model depicts a four storey brick building with store (SIC) arches, and engine house and of course the tall brick chimney.
Hope you’ve found this little mill as fascinating as I have! If you’d like to read the opening pages of The Unraveling which describe Annmar’s walk into Derby’s industrial district and Shearing Enterprises brick factory, click here to go to books.
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