While the inventor’s names like Jedediah Strutt have been remembered, the stories of the workers at the mills — the actual backbone of the Industrial Revolution — have been largely overlooked. At Strutt’s North Mill, hundreds of workers, ranging from children as young as eight, operated the spinning mules as well as the water frames. Conditions were arduous — noisy mechanisms, close monitoring, as well as long days were the working routine. But despite all these struggles, these labourers played a vital role in the industrial expansion of Belper. The Strutts provided their workers with modern housing and built what became the first industrial housing complex with schools, swimming baths, parks and gardens having some of the earliest gas street lighting in the country. Our tours commemorate these unsung workers, telling their stories and celebrating their contributions to Belper and the industrial revolution. Step into the world of the workers and their families at the textile mill by joining us on our World of the Workers heritage tour, book here.
