World Heritage UK 2026 Spring Workshop

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

1. a) digital/organic management plans with Hadrian’s Wall’s John Scott
2. 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.