World Heritage UK 2026 Spring Workshop
2026-04-28 09:00 - 2026-04-29 17:00 UTC | Masson Mills, 41 Derby Rd, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3PY, United Kingdom
Dates: Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th April 2026
Venue: Masson Mills, Matlock Bath, Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site

Theme: World Heritage Management
Programme: there will be three key speakers over the two days, focusing on key aspects of WH management, with associated workshops, that will allow debate, discussion and feedback on the topics covered. There will be both in-person and online workshops.
In-person delegates will also have the opportunity to experience Derwent Valley Mills WHS, with trips to Masson Mills museum and hydro, Cromford Mills, Cromford Wharf, Leawood Pumphouse, High Peak Junction railway workshops and a narrowboat trip on the canal.
Monday 27 April – delegates arrive; optional informal social in the evening at the Matlock Bath Balti, 256 Dale Road, Matlock Bath DE4 3NT, if you’re at a loose end the night before.
Tuesday 28 April
10.00am Registration & Refreshments, assignment to workshops and tour groups
10.20am Welcomes
10.30am Talk 1: State Party update – recent and upcoming guidance, training and plans, with DCMS and Historic England International
11.00am Workshop 1: split delegates into their numbered groups to discuss guidelines and bring back thoughts and questions
11.45pm Workshop feedback/discussions
12.30pm Lunch
1.15pm Talk 2: WH management plans, governance, partnerships and stakeholder engagement, using ICOMOS-UK’s guidance with Sarah Simmonds
1.45pm Workshop 2: split delegates into smaller groups to discuss guidelines and bring back thoughts and questions
2.30pm Workshop feedback/discussions
3.15pm Delegates split into their 2 groups for tour of Masson Mills (~ 15 minutes each); waterpower expert Ian Jackson will lead the hydro tour and DVMWHS’ Adrian Farmer will lead the museum tour
4.00pm Everyone pack and leave bags, then walk to Cromford
4.15pm – tour of the hydro, Building 1, and the site, with an explanation the conservation project and its impact, with Éilis Scott Cromford Mills CEO; followed by a short tour of the visitor centre with DVMWHS’ Adrian Farmer (or vice versa)
5.00pm 15 mins walk to Masson Mills (both Groups); delegates must collect their belongings and vacate the Mill before 5.30pm
5.30pm Day one ends

6.00pm Social at the Fishpond, Matlock Bath; this is a separate ticket to the workshop. Enjoy a 2-course meal (starter and carvery main, or carvery main and desert) with teas and coffees in this freehouse in the heart of the World Heritage Site. Options for starters and deserts will be available soon. Carvery choices can be made on the night from beef, gammon, turkey or nut roast. All mains come with roast and mased potatoes, roast carrots, peas, Yorkshire Pudding, cauliflower cheese, gravy and stuffing. Workshop delegates are being offered a special discounted rate. We will be in our own private room and its on bar.
Wednesday 29 April
9.00am Refreshments & Welcomes
9.30am Talks 3: Good WHS management practice

a) digital/organic management plans with Hadrian’s Wall’s John Scott
b) WHS interpretation plans with the Lake District WHS and Minerva’s Lisa Keys and Chris Healey

10.15am Workshop 3
11.15am Workshop feedback/discussions
12.00pm Q&As
12.15pm Lunch
1.00pm All delegates take coach to Cromford Wharf; there split into their 2 Groups
1.15pm Group 1 disembarks at Cromford Wharf and board the Cromford Canal heritage narrowboat Birdswood
1.15pm Group 2 stay on the coach and travel from Cromford Wharf to High Peak Junction
1.30pm Group 1 travel by barge to High Peak Junction (45 mins)
1.30pm Group 2 visit to High Peak Junction railway workshops, Leawood Pumphouse and/or Aqueduct Cottage
2.15pm Group 1 disembark barge at High Peak Junction; narrowboat turns round
2.15pm Group 1 visit High Peak Junction railway workshop, Leawood Pumphouse and/or Aqueduct Cottage
2.30pm Group 2 board narrowboat and return to Cromford Wharf (45 mins)
3.15pm Group 1 board coach at High Peak Junction and return to Cromford Wharf
3.30pm Coach arrives at Cromford Wharf and Group 2 board
3.30pm Everyone boards coach back to Masson Mills
3.45pm Return to venue and end of workshop

Transport:
Car – free parking is available to delegates at Masson Mills. You will need to provide your car reg each day.
Train – Masson Mills is less than one mile from both Matlock Bath and Cromford train stations on the Derwent Valley Line between Matlock & Derby.
Bus – the Masson Mills bus stop is conveniently located right outside the entrance, making it easy for you to access our site using public transport. When planning your visit, there are several bus services you can use:
Transpeak – operator: High Peak; key locations served: Derby, Matlock, Buxton, Belper and Bakewell; frequency: hourly
X17 – operator: Stagecoach; key locations served: Sheffield, Dronfield, Chesterfield and Matlock; frequency: hourly
6.1 – operator: Trentbarton; key locations served: Bakewell, Matlock, Wirksworth Belper and Derby; frequency: hourly
Little Sixes – operator: Trentbarton; key locations served: Matlock to Cromford, Middleton and Wirksworth; frequency: hourly
110/111 – operator: Hulleys-of-Baslow; key locations served: Matlock, Wirksworth and Ashbourne; frequency: hourly Monday to Saturday
Accommodation suggestions:
New Bath Hotel & Spa, New Bath Road, Matlock Bath, DE4 3PX – the hotel which is part of the Radisson family, is a 10 mins walk from Masson Mills. The hotel is kindly offering workshop delegates a special rate of £125 (sole occupancy) per night for bookings for Monday and Tuesday nights. There will only be 35 rooms available at this rate. To book at this rate, please contact the hotel and quote the group block code 2604DERWEN, under the group name Derwent Valley Mills.
In Cromford there is the Oakhill Hotel, plus there are many Airbnbs in and around Cromford.
In Matlock/Matlock Bath, there are the Premier Inn, High Tor Hotel and the New Bath Hotel.
Further afield are The Lion Hotel in Belper and Makeney Hall Hotel in Milford.
Alternatively, go to the Visit Peak District & Derbyshire or Visit Derby websites for more ideas.
Do Your Bit for the Environment – we invite attendees of the Spring Workshop to support the Flow Country Partnership’s mission to restore the world’s only Peatland World Heritage Site – inscribed for being the world’s largest intact blanket peat bog. This vital ecosystem stores over 400 million tonnes of carbon, playing a crucial role in combating climate change. If you are travelling to the conference, please consider a donation to help facilitate future carbon sequestration. Your donations will directly aid in the restoration efforts, enhancing the peatland’s capacity to sequester carbon and support biodiversity. Please note, this initiative is not currently structured as a carbon offset programme; however, there is potential for it to evolve into one in the future, subject to interest from the World Heritage community and feasibility. Your support today contributes to meaningful environmental impact and may pave the way for future carbon offset opportunities.
Click here to donate…thank you.

World Heritage UK 2026 Annual Conference
2026-10-05 09:00 - 2026-10-06 17:00 | Portrush Town Hall, 1 Mark St, Portrush, Northern Ireland, BT56 8DX, United Kingdom
Save the date!
Dates: Monday 05th & Tuesday 06th October 2026
Venue: Portrush Town Hall, Portrush, Northern Ireland
Theme: Connections through World Heritage
Programme: details to come…
Travel:
There are flights to Belfast International (BFS) and George Best Belfast City (BHD) airports from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Exeter, Southampton, Inverness and Aberdeen. Airlines include easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, British Airways and Loganair. Book early!
If you wish to go by sea, Stena Line operate ferries to Belfast from Cairnryan and Liverpool (Birkenhead), and P&O Irish Sea operates between Cairnryan and Larne.
Travel from Belfast to Portrush:
Grab a bus (# 300) from the International Airport to Belfast City Europa Bus Centre (~25 mins); then walk to Yorkgate (~10 mins) and take the train to Portrush (~90 mins); no need to prebook trains as prices don’t change. Try the Rome2Rio app for help.
Accommodation:
Prices as of November/December 2025 and based on single occupancy with breakfast; delegates are recommended to book their room early.
Elephant Rock Hotel – Boutique Hotel, Portrush (can only accommodate Sunday 4th October)

1x ambulant twin room £99 B&B (please note this is an accessible room, it is on the ground floor beside reception with an internal window that looks into the atrium, this room also has a wet room style bathroom suitable for wheelchair users);
3x single rooms £135.90 B&B per room; 3x classic double rooms £160.20 B&B per room; 1x classic double/twin rooms £169.20 B&B; 1x classic triple £217.80 B&B (3x occupancy);
3x superior double/twin rooms £193.50 B&B per room (please note only two of these can be configured as a twin); 2x executive sea view double rooms £216 B&B per room;
4x executive sea view double/twin rooms £229.50 B&B per room
Quote “World Heritage Conference” when booking
The Marcus Portrush, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

40 x Rooms; £150 pp/per night with breakfast
Quote “UNESCO26” when booking; guests should call Lauren Fleming on 02870531233 > Option 1 > Option 2 Monday- Friday 9am-5pm or email Lauren at reservations@marcusportrush.com
Portrush Atlantic Hotel | Causeway Coast | Northern Ireland

Sunday 4th October £272 (B&B Single Occupancy); Monday 5th October £183; 15% discount on these prices (B&B Single Occupancy)
Promo code is WORLD26; booking links: Atlantic: Portrush Atlantic – World Heritage Delegate Rate
Portrush Adelphi | Boutique Golf Hotel in Portrush, Northern Ireland

Sunday 4th October £347 (B&B Single Occupancy); Monday 5th October £347 (B&B Single Occupancy); promo code is WORLD26
Booking links: Adelphi: https://marineandlawn.com/portrushadelphi/#/booking/step-1?promo=WORLD26&adults=2&arrive=10.10.2026
Royal Court Hotel Portrush (out of town- transport would be required to get to the conference venue, dinner and meeting points each day)

3x Premier (sea view) rooms £130 per night; 9x Deluxe (non-sea view) rooms £105.00 per night; quote “World Heritage Conference” when booking
Link to Accommodation Guide for the Causeway Coast and Glens area – CCG Download – Accommodation Guide 2025.pdf
Places To Stay | Visit Causeway Coast & Glens
***Airbnb is also available in the town
Do Your Bit for the Environment – we invite attendees of the Annual Conference to support the Flow Country Partnership’s mission to restore the world’s only Peatland World Heritage Site – inscribed for being the world’s largest intact blanket peat bog. This vital ecosystem stores over 400 million tonnes of carbon, playing a crucial role in combating climate change. If you are travelling to the conference, please consider a donation to help facilitate future carbon sequestration. Your donations will directly aid in the restoration efforts, enhancing the peatland’s capacity to sequester carbon and support biodiversity. Please note, this initiative is not currently structured as a carbon offset programme; however, there is potential for it to evolve into one in the future, subject to interest from the World Heritage community and feasibility. Your support today contributes to meaningful environmental impact and may pave the way for future carbon offset opportunities.
Click here to donate…thank you.
