
Belper's historic knitting machine back on display
Derbyshire-born Strutt later helped to create the world's first factories - cotton mills - at Cromford with Richard Arkwright in 1771 and then in Belper along the River Derwent in 1776.In 2014, a blue plaque commemorating Strutt was unveiled at Friar Gate House, his final home.Ian Hill, chair of Belper North Mill Trust, said the machine, which had been in storage since the museum closed, was "unique".He said the trust and the Volunteers Association were "delighted to be able to bring home this important piece of Belper's history". "Without this invention, who knows how Belper would have developed," he added.Mr Hill thanked the Belper Library Team, Belper Historical Society, Belper Town Council and Derbyshire County Council for their support.
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