The Derwent Valley was the place where a mechanically powered factory system was developed for the textile industry by Richard Arkwright and others in the eighteenth century. The Valley has been called ‘the cradle of the factory system’. The factory system that was developed here changed a whole way of life.

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WORLD HERITAGE SITES

WORLD HERITAGE EDUCATION

AN OVERVIEW

SITE INFORMATION

ACCOMMODATION

USEFUL ADDRESSES

LINKS TO THE CURRICULUM

PREPARING FOR A SITE VISIT

APPENDICES

PREPARING FOR A SITE VISIT

LEA Guidelines on making fieldwork visits.

It is important that visiting schools and colleges make themselves aware of their Local Education Authorities’ Guidelines for carrying out fieldwork.

Risk Assessments

Local Education Authorities have guidelines for carrying out risk assessments and visiting schools and colleges should follow these guidelines when making a risk assessment of the sites along the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. In addition, where sites offer fieldwork activities to visiting school groups, site education officers will have carried out a risk assessment for the activities they will lead. Copies of these risk assessments can be obtained when contacting the site.

It should be noted, however, that the mills and other sites are situated along the banks of a major river, the Derwent, or along Cromford Canal. The mill buildings are, in some cases, in ruinous condition and are in the process of being restored and in other cases there are complex water works that were built to take the power of the river to work the water wheels, and in some mills there is working machinery. It is therefore recommended that leaders of school and college parties make preliminary visits to the sites to assess the risks for themselves.

Pre-visits

All the sites along the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site that have a visitor centre welcome and encourage leaders of school or college parties to make a visit to the mill to help with planning fieldwork activities and assessing risk. Contact the site to book in a pre-visit. Some of the sites do not have a visitor centre. In this case it is essential that group leaders should visit the site before bringing the children or students on a fieldwork visit in order to design appropriate fieldwork activities, carry out a risk assessment and work out the practical details of the visit including where to park the coach, eat a packed lunch or whether or not there are toilet facilities.