Belper North Mill - Processes

Processes

Each of the mill's five floors housed different stages of the cotton spinning processes.

Raw cotton bales were unloaded from carts at the ground floor loading bay. The opening and cleaning machines broke the bales down and prepared the cotton into 'lap' form which was taken to the third and fourth floor carding rooms, housing three rows of carding engines, over 130. Carding machines disentangle the cotton fibres to produce a long continuous 'sliver'. Sixteen drawing frames, sometimes called lantern frames, straightened the fibres and pulled the 'slivers' into 'rovings' putting in a slight twist so they were ready for spinning. The rovings were coiled into large cans which were taken to the first and second floor.

Both the first and second floors originally housed thirty-four Arkwright water frames which spun 4236 ends simultaneously. This meant that 4236 rovings were continuously twisted together to become threads that were collected on a small bobbins. Later mule spinning machines were introduced to produce finer thread types which were in demand. The bobbins were sent to the fifth floor. On the fifth floor, reeling frames wound the spun thread into 'skeins' ready for dyeing at a factory in Milford. Doubling frames twisted two or more single spun thread together to make thicker and stronger thread. The amount of twist imparted determined the thread's properties.

The attic was later used as a schoolroom.