Heritage Open Days Festival – 1776: When the Threads Came Together

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the building of Sir Richard Arkwright’s Second Mill and the first workers’ housing in Cromford at North Street with our new exhibition ‘1776: When the Threads Came Together’.

The exhibition will explore how the conditions came together for Cromford to become a model that changed the way that people lived and worked across the world.

You can find out about the daily life of the mill workers and discover how the site has been water-powered for 255 years. Although only the foundations of the Second Mill and wheel pit survived, this layout and format of mills became the ‘template’ of efficiency and mass production that was copied around the world. Explore the visitor centre, see Arkwright’s water frame and learn about the industrial transformation that began in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

The exhibition has been created in partnership with the University of Derby with the support of the University of Derby’s Vice-Chancellor Impact Accelerator Award.

Additional events:

Don’t miss the opportunity to step inside the workers’ cottages on North Street. The Landmark Trust is offering a rare opportunity to explore one of these historic homes and discover daily life for mill workers in the early factory system that transformed how people lived and worked. See the Landmark Trust’s website for bookings and further information.

There are also plenty of other activities at Cromford Mills over the weekend, including a Heritage Skills Day on Saturday 19th and a special afternoon of music on Sunday 20th, featuring the Derby Cathedral Choir, see Cromford Mills website for further information.