Milford village in Derbyshire is situated in the Derwent Valley, between, Duffield and Belper, with the A6 running through it's centre. It has a church, a chapel, garden nurseries, several inns and a mill.
Milford was once a quiet hamlet, in a part of the large deer forest, that spread from Duffield to Wirksworth, until Jedediah Strutt set up a water powered cotton mill here and built housing for his workforce. Some of the housing still remains in Hopping Hill but much of the mill building was demolished between 1952 and 1964, including the cruciform warehouse of 1793, the second of Strutt's fire proof buildings with brick arch floors, timber beams and iron pillers. What remains is used by small businesses and a mill shop.
Milford Mill |
Strutt Arms |
The bridge, with it's 2 elegant segmental arches was built around the same time as the mill in 1790 but widened in 1906 and still carrying heavy traffic.
It was a bad time for Milford village when the mill finally closed. Shops closed down and young people moved out of the area. Strutt lived at Milford House, which is now a home for the elderly.
The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity was built in early English style in 1848. In the east window is a memorial to George Herbert Strutt, who was born here and built the schools at Belper.
Milford has several inns, including the ever popular Strutt Arms and The Milford.
