18th April is World Heritage Site Day! On this date every year activities and events take place all over the world to raise awareness of the current 1092 World Heritage Sites.

World Heritage is the shared wealth of humankind. Protecting and preserving this valuable asset demands the collective efforts of the international community. This special day particularly offers an opportunity to raise everyone’s awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as draw attention to its vulnerability.

The Derwent Valley Mills is the only World Heritage Site in the East Midlands and one of only 31 in the United Kingdom.

This international designation confirms the outstanding importance of the area as the birthplace of the factory system where in the 18th Century water power was successfully harnessed for textile production.

The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Rural Landscapes”.  One of the key reasons for the Derwent Valley Mills’ inscription is that you are still able to see the rural setting of the mills and settlements much as they would have been when the Mills were built.

We will celebrate this with a walk lead by Adrian Farmer on 18th April at 2pm. Join Adrian to discover “What is a Relict Landscape?”  Explore the rural landscape setting of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site on a free two-hour walk. The start point will be  Belper Market Place at 2pm on International World Heritage Site Day, Thursday 18 April.  The walk includes the ancient green spaces of Bullsmoor and The Parks in Belper. There’ll be some challenging slopes, so good footwear is required, and clothing appropriate for the weather. No need to book – just turn up and celebrate this special place with us!