EAST MILFORD WALK Using the crossing by the Strutt Arms, walk to the river bridge. The buildings to your left are all that remain of the old Milford Mill complex. The footprint of the mills is no longer traceable, but the cut or goyt, two wheel pits and generator housing survive south of the bridge, close to the Soi Kitchens restaurant. Water power is still harnessed for energy supply. Facing you at the end of the bridge is a group of properties developed between 1791 & 1850 after the enclosure of the common land. The former Ebenezer Chapel on the right, was converted in 1859 from The Durham Ox public house, built in 1846 by Henry Brassington. The neighbouring King William pub was built around 1830 on land purchased by the Belper auctioneer, surveyor and architect John Hutton. Further north, the Hopping Hill Recreation Ground occupies an area worked as a quarry until at 2 least 1906. this area, and another is situated close to the site of the former Hopping Mill, a corn mill with a fulling and dyeing house. Part of Holy Trinity Parish this site was purchased by Jedediah Strutt in 1781 to obtain the Church was built water power needed for his cotton mill 500 yards downstream. between 1846 The mill meadow became part of the Strutt Company gas works and 1848 in an and foundry. early English style by H. Moffat. Its Return to the main unusual north-south road and climb the alignment is due to steps by the New the constraints of Inn (1792) before the site, donated turning right onto by Strutt family Hopping Hill. Take members. It the jitty between stands at the south Holy Trinity Church the two long rows, end of Hopping 1 and turning right at Hill, part of the the top proceed up former turnpike road named from the Old English word ‘hop’ Shaw Lane. A short The New Inn 3 meaning a hanging (or side)valley and ‘ing’ meaning a clearing. way along on your The long rows of housing here were developed on the former right are East and common land between 1792-6 by Jedediah Strutt to house his West Terrace (1818-20). To make optimum use of a difficult workers. Thirty years later, purchase of land from the Duke site, this back-to-back housing was built in blocks of five; each of Devonshire enabled the Company to construct the present block having two east-facing double-fronted two-storey houses, main road - allowing their carts to avoid the hill - and build the and three single-fronted three-storey houses facing west across properties known as Dukes Buildings. the valley. Cross the main road and pass through a small opening in the Steps at the end of the Terrace lead down past allotment wall for a path leading down to the river, and giving spectacular gardens and the Church back to the War Memorial and Roll views of the weir. An information board gives more detail about of Honour. Retrace your steps to follow the other walks. WEST MILFORD WALK The Strutt Arms (1901), opposite the information board tunnel at once whilst open carriages were still in use. (Please was built on the site of a farmhouse, the home of the Harvey note there is no public access to the Tower, which stands on family. privately-owned land.) Returning down the hill, turn left into Well Lane to see a row of Walk south to Mount Pleasant, one of Milford’s oldest houses. 1792 workers cottages built by Jedediah Strutt. The well, by the Its gable is dated 1672, but it may be even older. Neighbouring bend, was hidden for many years, but rediscovered in 2002. Milford House (1792) was built by Jedediah Strutt who lived there until his death in 1797. It was a Strutt family home for over At the end of the lane, the Methodist Chapel (1842) has been a century. in commercial use since the 1940s although recently converted to residential use. The Baptist Chapel (1849), nearby on Retrace your steps Chevin Road, is still used for worship – its baptismal tank into Chevin Road. The survives in the building at the bottom basement. of Sunny Hill, now occupied by the Social Further north, Club, was originally the past the entrance New Inn, and later the to Hopping Beehive, before being Hole quarry, is converted into Milford’s Bank Buildings, Institute and Reading built in 1911 to Room by George replace a row of Bank Buildings 2 Herbert Strutt in 1902. 1790s workers housing. Families A short way up the hill were rehoused three at a time while the properties were re- on the right is the Royal built by the Strutt Estate. The houses have gardens across the The Beehive Oak, which with the 1 road, on the river bank. A adjoining houses was short way past the end built by the Bate family of the row is the north Milford School on a plot allotted to their father when the common land was entrance to Milford 3 enclosed in 1791-2. The licence was held until the 1950s. Tunnel. Turn back southwards, and on your A few yards further up on the left, nos. 15-37 form a back- left is Milford School, to-back row, built in stages between 1791 and 1824 by in use since at least the entrepreneurs. Its local name, The Barracks, suggests it was 1820s. As the building built to attract single mill-workers living away from home. Most is built into the slope, of the old stone houses on Sunny Hill were built from 1791 and there is a lower storey at later sold to Anthony Radford Strutt to house his workers. the rear, from where a gate leads to the Mill site. At the top of the hill, directly over the Chevin railway tunnel, Down the steps is Chevin Alley (1792), a row of houses with stands Stephensons’ Tower. Built about 1839 by the North an irregular façade reflecting the sharp slope down to the road. Midland Railway Company (Chief Engineers: George and Robert The courses of stonework are horizontal at the front, but at the Stephenson), it was used to signal to locomotive drivers that the back follow the slope of the ground! The extension at No. 1 tunnel, initially single track, was clear to enter and later, after a once housed a Post Office. The next-door building, on the main second track had been laid, to prevent two trains being in the road, housed the Mill Canteen. Retrace your steps to follow the other walks. other the follow to steps your Retrace built – unusually for these villages – of brick. The row was was row The brick. of – villages these for unusually – built five houses houses five by the Strutt Company. Company. Strutt the by , , Steps Forge 2 The Weir and Bridge and Weir The river is Moscow Farm, another model farm, developed in 1815 1815 in developed farm, model another Farm, Moscow is river the right, is is right, the Anthony Radford Strutt as a model farm. Visible across the the across Visible farm. model a as Strutt Radford Anthony Road, on on Road, On the opposite corner is Red Hill Farm, built in 1834 by by 1834 in built Farm, Hill Red is corner opposite the On along Makeney Makeney along Further south south Further Raikes, M.P. Raikes, Captain Holmes, and in the 20th century that of H. St. John D. D. John St. H. of that century 20th the in and Holmes, Captain 1820. 1820. in 1783 by his son. By 1852 it was the home of mill manager manager mill of home the was it 1852 By son. his by 1783 in Company in in Company , built in 1730 by Henry Peat, and extended extended and Peat, Henry by 1730 in built , Lodge Makeney by the Strutt Strutt the by Beyond the Terrace, on the corner of Red Lane, we see see we Lane, Red of corner the on Terrace, the Beyond Corn Mill built built Mill Corn forges, and the the and forges, Company as a block of eight back to back houses. back to back eight of block a as Company , opposite, occupies the site of the ancient ancient the of site the occupies opposite, , Centre Fitness The built in 1820 by the Strutt Strutt the by 1820 in built Terrace West and East is Yard Johnson family of Coxbench Hall in 1806. Also within Makeney Makeney within Also 1806. in Hall Coxbench of family Johnson down homes for labourers. for homes down farmhouse bought by the Strutt Company from the Brooks Brooks the from Company Strutt the by bought farmhouse Above the gardens are small cottages developed as one up one one up one as developed cottages small are gardens the Above is a 15th century former former century 15th a is Yard Makeney in side south the on of the forge manager. It still has its iron framed windows. windows. framed iron its has still It manager. forge the of a notorious Derby banker who became bankrupt. Adjacent Adjacent bankrupt. became who banker Derby notorious a , further along on the left, was once the home home the once was left, the on along further , Cottage Forge . This had been the home of John Heath, Heath, John of home the been had This . House Makeney housing, and built by George Herbert Strutt on the site of of site the on Strutt Herbert George by built and housing, after World War II. War World after house and garage to Makeney Hall, now converted into mews mews into converted now Hall, Makeney to garage and house bridge built by William Strutt in 1826 and was demolished just just demolished was and 1826 in Strutt William by built bridge the former coach coach former the also view the footbridge bridge, which replaced a suspension suspension a replaced which bridge, footbridge the view also on the left is the the is left the on paved river bed which ensured fast flowing water.