Plan your visit to the Derwent Valley – a special and beautiful place, home to the internationally recognised Derwent Valley Mills, the only World Heritage Site in the East Midlands.

Take a look at our interactive map to quickly see what the Lower Derwent Valley has to offer

Find out what’s happening in the Derbyshire Lower Derwent Valley from walks to festivals – there are many ways to get involved.

Walking & Riding around Amber Valley; Belper Heritage Walks; Darley Abbey Heritage Walks; Milford Heritage Walks; Station to Station Walks

The World Heritage Site Discovery Days Festival is the biggest annual event in the Derwent Valley Mills calendar – there’s so much to see and enjoy!

Explore its hidden heritage and take part in a whole range of activities.

History & Development; Key Sites; Communities; Key Figures; Bibliography; Research Framework

World Heritage Status; Outstanding Universal Value; Protecting Our Heritage; Management of Our World Heritage Site.

Grant Schemes; Boundaries; Planning

To Where it Begins film; Current Projects; Past Projects

Explore some publications produced to help people discover, interpret and enjoy the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

DerwentWISE is a group of organisations working together to“Inspire & enable us all to care for the Lower Derwent Valley”
Read more . . . .

Over the duration of the five year scheme DerwentWISE will have delivered on 60 projects. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the partnership, volunteers and scheme office staff. Read more . . . .

See maps of projects and landscape character types in the Lower Derwent Valley

DerwentWISE is having three final celebration events in 2018/19 to celebrate the Lower Derwent Valley, the Partnership and place the people who have made it happen at the heart of each event.

Running until the end of 2020, “Vital Valley” is a programme of activities which is the next step in engaging people with the uniqueness of our Great Place: the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. We’re proud to have been awarded this funding as one of 16 Great Place Schemes in England. Great Place is a pilot […]

There are 20 Vital Valley projects which build on the work already achieved by the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Partnership since inscription by UNESCO in 2001. Working in partnership is central to the delivery of these projects and the co-ordination team will work with a range of organisations based in Derbyshire and beyond […]

A number of our projects have a creative thread and are designed to bring the World Heritage Site alive through arts. We aim to inspire artists and makers who live and work in the World Heritage Site, supporting existing and fostering new relationships into the future, along with sparking new ideas for local heritage organisations. […]

Vital Valley has a focus on supporting our local businesses as they are an essential part of our communities. The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site has been working with businesses and organisations located in the World Heritage Site since inscription in 2001. This work is being augmented with the Great Place Scheme, and we […]

Much has been achieved to protect and promote the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site since inscription in 2001. Many people and organisations have worked together to ensure appropriate development and make visiting an enjoyable experience. Heritage shapes how people connect with the places they live, work and play in. There is still work to […]

ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES DERWENT VALLEY MILLS WORLD HERITAGE SITE Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) is a place that changed the world. It is a place where the dramatic power of the landscape was harnessed through human ingenuity, leading to industrial developments that revolutionised the way people worked and lived. Derwent Valley Mills was inscribed […]

A boost to arts, culture & heritage for Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Arts organisation Beam to programme a series of imaginative, exciting and inclusive artistic activities, due to run until December 2020. The artistic programme forms a core part of our Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts […]