Image ID: 22878

Pleasley Vale Old Mills, 1989

Courtesy of Ian Brown LRPS

Pleasley Vale
Pleasley Vale
England

William Hollins, (Later Hollins, Siddon & Co.) established the cotton spinning factory in 1784 at Pleasley Vale. He chose this site for three basic reasons: Water supply by the River Meden for power; The trees in the valley maintained the required humidity levels; and the closeness to the main highways of the day. Labour was difficult to recruit due to the remoteness so a workhouse for child labour was established. Two mills were built but both mills burnt down in 1840's. When they were re-built, steam driven machinery was introduced. In 1889 the benevolent William Hollins built good quality stone terrace houses and a school for the 500 workers and their families plus baths and reading and recreation rooms. Gas lighting had been installed in the village in 1876. Pleasley mill later developed the Viyella cloth. They won large contracts from the government to provide cloth during the Second World War. The mills were closed by the 1980's. The valley is now a nature reserve.

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