| Description | Minutes, correspondence, and papers, 1977 – 2008 (D3045/T/1/1).
Correspondence, 1982 – 2006 (D3045/T/1/2).
Secretary's documents, 1980 – 1985 (D3045/T/1/3).
Treasurer's documents, 1981 (D3045/T/1/4).
Legal, 1980- [1990] (D3045/T/2).
Employment, 1978 (D3045/T/3).
Operational, 2002 – 2005 (D3045/T/4).
Plant and property, 1994 – 2017 (1994 – 2017).
Newsletters, visitor guides and leaflets, [1970s - 2000s] (D3045/T/6/1).
Photographs, [Early 1900s] – 2006 (D3045/T/6/2).
Printed material, 1973 – 2013 (D3045/T/7).
Financial records, 2004 (D3045/T/8). |
| Administrative History | In December 1977, on learning of the intended closure of Caudwell’s Mill when E. A. Caudwell (Rowsley) Ltd stopped trading, the Department of the Environment (DoE) “listed” its machinery as being of special architectural or historical interest.
In March 1978, the Peak Park Joint Planning Board (PPJPB) Caudwell’s Mill Trust Ltd expressed support for the idea of a trust to preserve the Mill. While discussions over this began, it took on a short-term lease the of newly vacated Mill. It appointed Arthur Fox as a part time caretaker, who had previously been the Head Miller and worked at Caudwell’s Mill for most of his working life. A job creation team, funded by the Manpower Services Commission, was set up under Arthur Fox to start cleaning and repairing the premises and machinery.
10 December 1978 saw a meeting that aimed to set up the Friends of Caudwell’s Mill, whose aim was to set up a body to carry forward negotiations with the landlord and other interested parties on a more formal level. The Friends also took a hand in running the job creation team, set up working parties to raise funds, considered interpretation and commercial activities, and attempted to solve the technical problems raised in running a flour mill.
Caudwell’s Mill Trust Limited was created and held its first meeting on 22 February 1980. It had been created so that there was a corporate body to take on the lease of the mill premises and receive grants and loans. Its prime objective was the “conservation, maintenance and use of Caudwell’s Mill … for the benefit of the public”.
The first Annual General Meeting of Caudwell's Mill Trust Limited was on 24 April 1981.
From late 1984 onwards a craft centre was developed at the mill, with crafts people paying rent for the use of outbuildings, providing an income for the Trust, plus attracting visitors to the mill, another source of income for the Trust. To assist in this a car park, toilet block, exhibition gallery and cafe were all built by the end of the 1980s.
The Trust commissioned extensive repairs over the years to the mill’s roof, machinery, and external fabric. By November 1990 an electricity generator was installed, generating 12 kilowatts of electricity when there was sufficient water to drive both turbines. This helped to reduce the electricity bill by about 2/3s in normal conditions. It was upgraded later to provide 15 kilowatts of electricity in normal conditions.
When the Trust was formed one of the objectives was “to advance education by … the use of Caudwell’s Mill”. The Trust encouraged visits to the mill by schools since the mill was opened to the public. To assist with this a Manpower Services Team produced a teacher’s pack containing information covering the history of the mill, the Caudwell family, waterpower and milling in general. Later, with the creation of the National Curriculum for Schools, a teacher assisted the Trust in developing a series of information sheets to fit with the National Curriculum, covering technology, science, and history. Once the roof had been repaired, the top floor was converted for the use of school parties, as a classroom and a place to eat sandwiches.
Caudwell’s Mill closed to the public in 2023 and the business and trust was wind up and went into voluntary liquidation in 2023.
Source: About Us – Caudwell’s Mill, Jul 2023 (print out from webpage) and The Saving of Caudwell’s Mill, Rowsley, by G. P. Challenger, Company Secretary, Apr 1991 (refence D3045/T/7/2). |
| Custodial History | These records were donated to Derbyshire Record Office by the former Director and Secretary of Caudwell's Mill (Rowlsey) Ltd in June 2023, after the Caudwell's Mill business and trust was wind up and went into voluntary liquidation in 2023.
A further deposit was made in September, 2023 by the Arkwright Society in September, 2023. A former Secretary of the Arkwright Society represented the Society on the Friends of Caudwell's Mill and the Caudwell's Mill Trust Committee since its creation. |