Have you ever wandered down Dock Walk, at the back of Wickes and Wheatbridge Surgery, only to wonder about the building with the plaque of a cannon on it? This is Chesterfield’s oldest industrial building, the Cannon Mill and until last year was in a very poor condition, with the imminent risk that it would collapse in a storm. However, assisted by a generous donation from the Chesterfield General Charitable Fund a local group of volunteers have gathered together to form a new charity to save it, providing a new future both for the building and for young people who are struggling in our local community.
Cannon Mill was actually a part of the nationally famous Griffin Foundry, founded in 1775. Built as a casting house for the foundry, it contributed to important world events. Cannonballs made here were used at the Battle of Trafalgar, helping the Duke of Wellington to defeat Napoleon and the French Navy. Cannons made here were likely to have been used in the American War of Independence and were fired in Chesterfield to celebrate the court martial acquittal of Admiral Keppel.
If you peer closely from the roadside, you can see the iron water wheel and wheel pit still in place on the south side of the building. This was originally fed from two feeder dams either side of Dock Walk and we hope that someday this amazing feature will spin again and generate electricity from the river.
Many other important things were made in this foundry, among them the structure of the famous Belper East Mill and steam engines for mines all over the area (including one made for Magpie Mine and one which is in London’s Science Museum). After its years as a foundry, the building was used as a corn mill and an engineering workshop as part of the Robinson’s Packaging works.
Despite being Grade II listed, the building was last restored in 1957. Since then, it has fallen into disuse and serious disrepair, with brickwork defects, boarded up windows and a major hole in the roof. The surrounding courtyard workshops were demolished in the 1980s.
Without a reason to exist it was an unloved building, despite its historical importance.
Chesterfield has seen a significant decline in youth services and projects over the past 10 years and more, and the young people of our town are suffering because of it. The Cannon Mill Trust is a youth charity, aiming to re-engage young people who are struggling in their community: providing them with hope, learning and a future through finding practical skills that they enjoy. A key to this is celebrating the cultural and industrial heritage of our town: helping young people to learn that there are many practical engineering and crafting skills which can interest them, can provide a practical outlet for their energy and improve both our town and the wider environment.
This innovative project puts young people at its heart; converting an unloved and unused heritage building to create a thriving hub to develop practical skills and a home for creative social enterprises. We want to empower the forgotten youth of our town and help them to develop the skills, aspirations and confidence to enter the job market and carve out a positive way forward.
One of the areas of focus will be the environment and the circular economy; building workshop space to house bike repairs, a tool library, up-cycling and repairing unwanted and unused items. This will start with the repair of the building itself: giving young people and community members an opportunity to learn heritage building skills alongside the restoration.
The project’s cornerstone tenant will be the cycle repair workshop currently based at Monkey Park Community Hub. This workshop has been thriving for a number of years and engaging many young people in the area, helping them to develop skills and be a part of something that turns lives around.
A temporary roof has now been installed which has saved the building from collapsing, thus saving the building for future generations. The Cannon Mill Trust charity team are currently working with Robinson PLC on exciting plans for the future. We wish to work with our local community on detailed designs and restoring the building during 2025, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Griffin Foundry.
Offers of help and support for the charity are always welcome and you can reach us below.
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