Cotton Chronicles, Kirk Mill, Chipping

Kirk Mill

At the height of the Industrial Revolution the village of Chipping, originally an agricultural village, quickly became a thriving centre of the cotton industry, in 1831 a population census counted 1334 inhabitants, whereas only a few years earlier this number had hardly reached 3 figures! Seven spinning mills provided the employment for this burgeoning population, all powered by the waters of Chipping Brook, the stream which winds its way though the village centre.

Kirk Mill, just outside the village, was constructed in the 1780’s on the site of an earlier Corn Mill dating from around 1540. It was powered by an Arkwright Water Wheel 32ft in diameter which is visible today, also by a small steam engine “for times of drought”, the mill was lit throughout by gas, gas lighting being a relatively new invention at the time.

Model of Efficiency and Orderliness

The mill was regarded as a model of efficiency and orderliness for the village which struggled to cope with the influx of workers, indeed one street in the village was called ‘Rat Row’ due to its chaotically messy nature. After the slump in the cotton trade most of the mills in chipping became derelict but Kirk mill remained in industrial use, furniture firm HJ Berry took over the mill in 1880 and operations in the factory were powered by the water wheel until the 1940s, the factory closed in 2010 however as it simply could not compete with cheap imports.

Redevelopment

Recently a 39 house residential area was constructed on the site and outline planning permission has been given for a £19m spa, hotel and restaurant complex, the size of the redevelopment plans has caused a lot of controversy in the small village which is famous for its history, the village is one named in the domesday book, so many residents are worried this legacy could be damaged and the character of the village lost.

The village has, after all, won awards for Best Kept Village and Britain in Bloom so you can see how dedicated the residents are to keeping it as beautiful as it is.

A B-H