Corona Virus Update
Corona Virus Update
(updated 26th March 2021)
CORONA VIRUS UPDATE FROM THE SITES
As Government advice continues to evolve in relation to the corona virus pandemic, visitors should check in to individual sites’ and attractions’ websites and social media to keep informed on how they are responding to this. Links to our main sites and attractions are given below, as well as other venues of which we are aware.
You will be able to find useful information on the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire website too at www.visitpeakdistrict.com
We are now in national lockdown and must stay at home for anything other than essential purposes.
Please follow any onsite instructions and whilst out and about along the canal or footpaths, please limit your use of narrow trails and towpaths where 2 metre social distancing may not be possible.
Please use the bins provided, and if these are full or there isn’t a convenient bin, please take your litter home with you. If you are out with your dog, please ensure you have poo bags with you and take the bags home with you.
Please use any designated parking available, and do not park on double yellow lines or grass verges
CROMFORD AREA
MASSON MILLS
Both the Working Textile Museum and the Masson Mills Shopping Village are closed until further notice
CROMFORD MILLS
Cromford Mills is closed, but The Counting House Coffee Stop at the side of Cromford Canal wharf is now open for takeaways.
The Cheese Shop in the Mill Yard will reopen on 29th March 2021.
BIRDSWOOD CANAL BOAT
Birdswood remains closed for now.
HIGH PEAK JUNCTION @DERBYSHIRECOUNTRYSIDE
High Peak Junction car park is open – parking charges apply. Do not try to park if car parks are full and please pay attention to signage around the site.
Toilet facilities are open with additional cleaning in place.
The Visitor Centre kiosk is open to offer take away refreshments. Please check opening times.
Hire of all-terrain mobility scooters at High Peak Junction is not available – the narrowness of the towpath means it’s not possible to socially distance.
Cycle hire at Middleton Top Cycle Hire on the High Peak Trail opens on 1st April 2021.
If visiting please use our sites responsibly, make good use of the space available and follow social distancing guidelines. Limit your use of narrow trails and towpaths which impact the 2 metre guidance. Please take any litter and dog poo bags home with you as bin collections on our site will be less frequent than usual.
LEAWOOD PUMPHOUSE
Steaming dates cancelled until further notice.
LUMSDALE VALLEY AND WATERFALLS
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and concerns for public safety in the Lumsdale Valley, it is with regret that the Arkwright Society, with support from Matlock Town Council, has to announce that it is unable to allow general public access to the Lumsdale Valley ruins and waterfalls until further notice. The recent relaxation of the lockdown measures has led to unprecedented levels of visitor activity to this beautiful valley. Due to its natural limitations, social distancing is impossible to maintain for visitors and local residents and therefore in the best interests of all, public access to the waterfalls will not be possible until safe to do so. We request that visitors do not travel to the site as parking and access will not be available. The Arkwright Society, its wonderful local volunteers and supporters have worked hard to try and maintain safe access to the area, but public safety for visitors and residents must be our primary concern at these difficult times. The situation will be reviewed should circumstances change.
CROMFORD VILLAGE
Only essential shops are now open in Cromford Village. Shoppers will be required to wear face coverings when in stores.
BELPER AREA
BELPER TOWN CENTRE
Shoppers will need to wear face-coverings when in stores. Shoppers may need to wait outside individual shops, where restrictions are in place, and some business may open by appointment in order to keep you safe. Only essential shops will be open.
At all times shoppers must follow social distancing guidelines outdoors, and should keep pavements clear and not congregate in groups.
In busy places, pavement signs will help to make it clear where people should queue and wait to enter shops and to assist shoppers and maintain safe social distancing. Some seating may be restricted and food and drink should not be consumed on public seating to reduce the risk of spreading infection.
Amber Valley Borough Council has been working with a number of town centre retailers to establish what assistance they might need in managing queuing outside their stores. The intention is to create safe queuing areas and pedestrian flows in those areas.
Retailers will also be implementing Covid Secure Measures to keep you safe. Retailers will require shoppers to wear a face covering when in store and will be taking additional steps to manage the goods which have been handled.
Residents are encouraged to walk or cycle wherever possible and consider visiting the town centres at quieter times. Some stores may be opening limited times or offering a ‘pre-order and collect or appointment only’ service, so it could pay to check in advance.
Contactless payment is preferred at the Council’s Pay & Display Car Parks. Amber Valley residents are reminded to use their Resident’s Parking Permit, which entitles them to park for free in most car parks after 4pm or upgrade to an enhanced permit at a cost of £4 to benefit from free parking after 2pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays and free town centre parking on Sundays. Find out more about this here: https://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/roads-and-parking/parking/residents-and-business-parking/
STRUTT’S NORTH MILL @BELPERMILL
Strutt’s North Mill Museum will be closed until at least 17 May2021. Heritage walks are being planned to start in April.
FLEET ARTS @FLEETARTS
Further information to come.
STRUTTS CENTRE
Strutts centre will be closed until at least 12th April 2021.
HEAGE WINDMILL
Hoping to re-start flour sales from the mill in mid-April. Planning to open the site to pre-booked visitors for socially distanced picnicking. Wind permitting, the sails will be turning and mill guides on hand to explain the operation of the mill and answer questions. These Open Days should start in late May. Please check website and Facebook pages regularly for updates.
DERBY AREA
DARLEY ABBEY
Only essential shops are now open in Darley Abbey. Shoppers are required to wear face coverings when in store.
DERBY QUAD
QUAD is closed to comply with Covid-19 restrictions. Subject to government guidance reopening on 17 May. Please check out Virtual QUAD which gives all the latest news, blogs and activities from the team at QUAD during Covid-19.
DERBY MUSEUMS
To comply with Covid-19 restrictions, Derby Museums’ sites will remain closed.
The Silk Mill is closed for redevelopment at the current time and is expected to open in spring 2021.
ROYAL CROWN DERBY MUSEUM
Further information to come.
TRANSPORT: CORONA VIRUS UPDATE
From Monday 15th June it is a requirement that you wear masks or face coverings when using public transport.
To reduce the transmission of Coronavirus, the government has advised people to avoid non-essential use of public transport when possible.
To enable bus operators to cope with reduced staff availability, and because of greatly reduced numbers of passengers, many bus services in Derbyshire will be running to temporary timetables during the Coronavirus emergency.
As the situation may change frequently and at short notice, intending passengers are strongly advised to check operators’ websites. These websites will be the most frequently updated and most reliable sources of information.
DERWENT VALLEY LINE –
Matlock, Derby Nottingham line – On Monday 25th January, East Midlands Railway are introducing a temporary timetable change on EMR Regional services with some off-peak and less popular services temporarily removed from the timetable. This is in line with national lockdown restrictions and Government guidance urging everyone who can to ‘stay at home’. In addition and like the rest of the country, EMR is seeing an increase in staff unavailability due to coronavirus and is taking proactive steps to reduce unplanned or short notice service cancellations.
This follows EMR’s Intercity services operating with a reduced capacity, as shorter trains with fewer carriages on many services along with some very minor changes to the timetable that were implemented on Monday 18th January.
These changes are expected to only be in place alongside the current Government guidance on staying at home. When these restrictions are relaxed, EMR expects to be able to quickly reintroduce the removed services.
The amended weekday timetable:
This is now on the EMR website https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/covid-19. The weekend revisions will be added in the next day or so.
BUSES
Derby Bus station has now re-opened.
For Trent Barton Buses timetable see: https://news.derby.gov.uk/trent-barton-announce-reduced-service-timetables/
Please email info@derwentvalleymills.org if you have any updates on your venues to be included here.
Great Place Scheme
All Great Place Scheme events which were scheduled to take place have also been postponed.
If you aren’t getting out and about yet, our wonderful World Heritage Site can still be visited virtually – keep an eye on our Facebook ,Twitter and Instagram feeds or visit our YouTube channel.
You can enjoy some online activities and videos on our Derwent Valley Mills at Home Page here
Many thanks and keep safe.
The DVMWHS Co-ordinating Team
