Boar’s Head Mills and the River Derwent

Stayed in Derby last night so an early run around Darley Abbey and along the banks of the River Derwent.

The photo is of Boar’s Head Mills, a cotton mill built by Thomas Evans and his company between 1782 and 1830 and used in textile production until 1970. The mill took advantage of the water power available from the River Derwent. It is now used for a variety of businesses and is part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Just off to the right of the photo the River Derwent falls over a large weir, built to provide a head for the water power for the mill, and becomes a wide, lazy river. I didn’t appreciate just how big a river the Derwent becomes, being more familiar with it high in the moors of the Dark Peak as it cascades out of Ladybower Reservoir.