Discover more about the World Heritage Site

You may live here, work here, go to school here, visit regularly, have a passion for history and heritage – whatever the reason, if you want to discover more about the World Heritage Site, or get more involved – welcome!

Check out our You Tube Channel!

There’s a wealth of videos to explore on the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site You Tube Channel. There are performances from some our festivals, 3-D animations reconstructing the mills as they would have looked in the past, information about our world heritage status, talks on a huge range of topics and lots of ‘how to’ films for activities and crafts relating to this site. Explore and follow the channel to be updated.

Learning for all

There are details of learning opportunities for people of all ages, so you can extend your knowledge, or learn new skills.

Here you can find teaching resources, details of school visits, or school projects to get involved with.

If you’re planning a visit to the Derwent Valley Mills with your family, find out more about it with our family friendly information, including our new Children’s Guide. You can download it as a pdf, or watch a film about it, or pick up a free copy when you visit.

History and Development

If you want to discover what actually happened here during the Industrial Revolution, the whole history, as we know it, of the Mills, the owners, and the communities they built, is set out here. Do you live in one of the millworker’s cottages? You might find out more about it, in this section.

Research

If you are interested in research, either for personal pleasure, or to further your educational aspirations, or to help to add to our knowledge of the World Heritage Site – or a combination of all these and more, please do visit the Research area on this page. Here you will find, recent research papers, details of our Research Framework, which encourages new research into the history and culture of the site, and news about our Research Workshops for those setting out on this exciting journey into the past.

Arts

The Derwent Valley Mills’ industrial heritage and spirit of innovation has inspired many arts projects. Here you can discover arts projects which put communities, culture and heritage at the heart of this historically significant place.

Volunteer

Here you will find details of volunteering opportunities along the site and information specifically for our volunteers.

Regeneration

The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site has significant development potential. If careful development can be coupled with the correct infrastructure and appropriate place making, this historically significant Valley will again hum with confidence and commerce that builds on the foundations created by the early industrial pioneers centuries ago. Look at past and current regeneration projects here.

Publications and Interpretation

If you are preparing to publish or developing interpretation or marketing within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site we have guidelines to help you.