A Slice of History Returns: Belper Welcomes Back historic knitting machine!

Great news for Belper! A pivotal piece of local—and global—history is back in town. The Framework Knitting Machine, instrumental in the early Industrial Revolution, is now on display at Belper Library.

Invented in 1589, this machine made socks and stockings. But it was Jedediah Strutt, Belper Mills' founder, who revolutionized it almost 200 years later. He developed an attachment that produced ribbed socks, solving the problem of them falling down!

This unique machine, previously at the North Mill Museum, has been in storage since 2022. Now, thanks to the Belper North Mill Trust and local partners, it's accessible to everyone again.

Strutt's innovations didn't stop there. He partnered with Richard Arkwright to create the world's first cotton mills in Cromford (1771) and then in Belper (1776), cementing his legacy and Belper's place in industrial history.

Ian Hill, Chair of the Belper North Mill Trust, calls the machine "unique" and emphasizes its importance to Belper's development. The Trust, along with the Volunteers Association, is thrilled to bring this "important piece of Belper's history" home, thanking the Belper Library Team, Historical Society, Town Council, and Derbyshire County Council for their support.

Come see this incredible machine and witness a key part of our past at Belper Library!