Calver Weir
Peak District National Park
What is it?
One of the earliest structures built in the Industrial Revolution, it’s a 116-metre S-shaped weir used to power the waterwheels for cotton-spinning at Calver Mill.
Why it is special?
Calver Weir is a Grade II-listed building dating from the 1770s, although the current structure was built in the 1840s. It's an upstream extension of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
In 2009 the Calver Weir Restoration project, run by local enthusiasts, was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £1.24m towards the restoration of the weir.
The weir was used to provide water to power cotton-spinning at Calver Mill, under licence from Richard Arkwright, the mill owner who pioneered the water-powered spinning frame which sped up the production of cotton and textiles during the Industrial Revolution.
Tell us something we didn’t know
The artificially high water levels upstream from the weir provide a wetland habitat known as the Calver Marshes which is home to rare species such as water voles, kingfishers and dippers.
How to get there
The village of Calver is in Hope Valley on the A623.
The nearest railway station is at Grindleford. Chesterfield, on the main line, is just over 11 miles away.
