18 CONTEXT 176 : JUNE 2023 Derwent Valley Mills, Derbyshire Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site is an extensive and complex cultural landscape, centered on a series of mill complexes and communities along a 15-mile stretch of the River Derwent. Many of the mill sites closed in the late 20th century. While some have been able to embrace their historic significance to bring new economic benefits, others have struggled following world heritage site inscription in 2001 and are in a perilous state. One of the greatest successes, however, was at Darley Abbey, on the outskirts of Derby. Here an almost-complete 18th-century mill and ancillary building are still standing. Following the completion of a mills regeneration strategy and the establishment of a partnership to take this forward, a range of repairs and conservation measures took place on the North Mill and other buildings from 2012 onwards. This enabled new businesses to move in, and act as a catalyst for further funding and restoration. By 2020 the mills and their attractive waterfront environs just outside Derby city centre include cafes and restaurants, making it not only a great place for businesses to relocate to, but also an increasingly popular destination for visitors to explore and enjoy the facilities. Darley Abbey is part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. (Photo: Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site) An interpretation scheme for the mills and village, to be completed in 2023, will ensure that the increasing numbers of visitors will better understand this section of the world heritage site and its outstanding universal value. English Lake District The English Lake District World Heritage Site was inscribed as a 230,000-hectare cultural landscape of mountains and valleys in 2017. Its outstanding universal value is based on the exceptional beauty and distinctive traditions of the agro-pastoral landscape which inspired 18th-century picturesque artists and romantic writers, and was a catalyst, internationally, for the emergence of the landscape conservation movement in the 19th century.The stone-walled fields and rugged farm buildings set in the spectacular landscape are one of the key attributes that underpin the outstanding universal value. In 2021/2022 a historic building restoration grant pilot project (£8 million) was initiated through a collaboration of stakeholder agencies and others with interests in the world heritage site. The pilot aims to bring life back to historic agricultural buildings by restoring them for continued agricultural use, using traditional Bridge End Barn at Nibthwaite in the Lake District World Heritage Site before and after restoration (Photo: Rose Lord)
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