Derbyshire Life Archives - Planning Design Ltd

Heritage update winter 2024

26th February 202420th February 2024 by Gary Stringer

Our Director Jon Millhouse, both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, brings us his winter 2024 Heritage Update on several of the interesting heritage and conservation projects that are happening in Derbyshire and those that we are currently working on.

This past year has seen the heritage team go from strength to strength securing some positive outcomes for clients working on complex heritage projects. We are fortunate to work in areas which contain a wide variety of historic buildings and landscapes. Our Derby office is situated within a well-preserved Georgian area of the city, that forms part of the Friargate Conservation Area, and within the grounds of the former Derbyshire County Jail.

Designed by Francis Goodwin, the Derby County Jail at Vernon Street opened in 1827 and was claimed as being “one of the most complete prisons in England”. It cost £66,227 to build, an enormous sum in the day, equivalent to around £7 million today. The building remained in use as a jail for around 100 years with executions regularly taking place, until the last public hanging in 1909.

Falling out of use as a prison following the First World War, in 1929 it was demolished, with only the imposing façade and boundary walls remaining. There then followed a 55 year period of use by the Preston Greyhound Racing Association Ltd, a regular part of the entertainment scene for the people of Derby.

At the other end of the spectrum, our Sheffield office is situated within the iconic Park Hill complex, one of the country’s best examples of 20th century Brutalist architecture and the largest listed building in Europe. Built between 1957 and 1961, following a period of decline, the estate is being renovated by developers Urban Splash. The renovation was one of the six short-listed projects for the 2013 RIBA Stirling Prize. The archetypal architecture of the site means it has featured in the films, This is England ‘90, a recent series of Doctor Who, lyrics by Sheffield band Pulp and in the award winning musical “Standing at the Sky’s Edge”, featuring songs by Sheffield’s Richard Hawley.

Heritage Update Winter 2024 Park Hill Sheffield — Park Hill, Sheffield

Cromford Mills, where Planning & Design also have an office, is one of the world’s foremost sites of industrial heritage. Built in the 18th Century by Sir Richard Arkwright the works were the first water-powered cotton-spinning mills in the world, and were at the spearhead of the Industrial Revolution. They now form part of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Arkwright Society who manage the site has recently secured £379,000 from funders including the Rural Community Energy Fund, The Wolfson Foundation, Severn Trent Community Fund and Derbyshire County Council, to help bring waterpower back to the site.

The historic site, which played a pivotal role in shaping the Industrial Revolution as the first successful water powered cotton spinning mill in the world, has embarked on a project to install a new water wheel, hydro turbine and water source heating system. By utilizing the original water course, this system is expected to generate approximately 20 to 25% of on-site electricity.

In September Hydro power was on the agenda for the Peak District Business networking event held at Masson Mill Matlock Bath around the corner from Cromford where our heritage team learned about Derwent Hydroelectric Power Limited (DHPL) investment in the site which has long been powered by its own hydroelectric turbines, with any surplus fed into the National Grid the new owners spoke about their plans to capitalise on that position with proposals to improve its generating capacity and create new visitor facilities.

Further down the Derwent regeneration specialists Wavensmere homes are also harnessing Hydro power at their development on an old factory site at Milford Mills, which is situated on the A6 between Duffield and Belper. The 4.7 acres industrial heritage landmark will be transformed into 69 properties comprising one and two bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom homes. It is great to see that lessons from the past can be utilised for powering homes of the future.

Working for our client, Clowes Developments, we were pleased to secure planning permission allowing the refurbishment of the Royal Exchange Buildings in Derby city centre.

A Grade II Listed property, the Royal Exchange Buildings, are located in a Conservation Area on Victoria Street in Derby’s city centre and have played a significant part of the city’s history. Clowes Developments are embarking on a project to refurbish the existing offices on the third floor, which has led to the submission of a Listed Building application. The upcoming refurbishment, guided by careful planning and conservation efforts, aims to preserve this historic gem while ensuring its relevance in the modern era. By balancing the needs of the present with the importance of the past, the Royal Exchange Buildings will continue to be a cherished part of Derby’s heritage for generations to come.

PDP_Royal Exchange Buildings — The Royal Exchange Buildings, Derby City Centre

This past year has seen the team tackling more complex projects which have to abide by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) guidelines. This is because these projects lie within the DVMWHS and require a higher level of Heritage Impact Assessments.

One such project was with Chevin Homes and their plans to convert and refurbish St Matthews House a Grade II* former school in Darley Abbey. The building is an architectural gem with an imposing classical façade containing a John Whitehurst clock. It was an early example of a purpose built school provided by the Evans family for their mill workers children A highly sensitive and important building it was crucial that changes proposed, so that the building can remain in use, are able to happen yet still enhance and reveal its heritage significance. We work closely with the councils conservation teams and Historic England to ensure that a good outcome can be found.

Having gained planning permission for Meadowview Homes to build 64 homes on the site of the former Glapwell Estate and hall, we have continued to work with our client on reintroducing a formal garden setting as part of the development which will contain public art, unique garden features, and a children’s play area for residents to enjoy and to link up the site to surrounding parts of the village. The public art element will be in three separate areas across the site, with a distinct design theme running through them to bring cohesion to the pieces. Meadowview Homes chose an award-winning dry stone waller Andrew Loudon who uses local materials and themes that reflect the community. He is working in collaboration with CB Arts Chris Brammall one of the leading metalworkers in the UK and responsible for the sculpture on the Chesterfield roundabout. The project was recently the subject of a feature in Derbyshire Life magazine.

Public art is also featuring at another Meadowview homes site in Stretton North Derbyshire where permission to install a bench with heritage interpretation of the nearby Roman road ‘Rykenield Street’ as part of its design is being sought.

Glapwell Nurseries — Public art at the former Glapwell Estate. Image: JSO Architectural Visualisation

The heritage team at PDP helped to inform development proposals at Middleton by Wirksworth for our client Woodhall homes ensuring sensitive designs, reflective of their historic context which was key to securing planning permission. Middleton is a delightful old lead mining village nestled in the Derbyshire Dales hills. We worked closely with Woodhall Homes and their architects to devise a bespoke design befitting of the location; one of the largest housing developments to be approved in the Dales in recent years.

Planning permission was secured for a barn conversion in Ible located within the Peak District National Park which comprised of a number of historic buildings including traditional stone and brick farmhouses, converted barns and more modern agricultural buildings. The application was accompanied by a comprehensive Heritage Report which outlined the significance of the barn which helped inform the Local Planning Authority in their assessment of the application. The barn makes a positive contribution to the landscape and the special qualities of the Peak District National Park. The retention and preservation of the building was therefore important consideration given that it is no longer in agricultural use and is slowly falling into a state of disrepair. The application proposed a new use for the barn which consequently would secure its long-term future.

Barn conversion, Ible in the Peak District National Park

Appeal triumph when planning permission was granted for a new access with entrance fencing and field gate and associated landscaping and hedge planting at Sherbourne Mill Turnditch, the old access was over a bridge that was subject to flooding. The main issues were the effect the new access had on the setting of the Grade II Listed Buildings known as Sherbourne Mill and Sherbourne Mill House; and the effect of the development on the landscape character of the area.We argued that there were considerable benefits that together outweigh the less than substantial harm to the designated heritage assets of which the planning inspector agreed.

Our heritage team also assisted with the successful outline planning application for the erection of up to 25 houses on Belper Road Ashbourne. The main issues were landscape impact and impact upon the character and appearance of the area and the impact on the Grade II Gate Farm, and 18th century farmhouse and attached farm buildings. With our in-house architectural team we devised a sensitive design approach which aims to assimilate with the local context.

We also enjoyed success at appeal when tasked with writing a Statement of Heritage Significance for owners of The Toll Gate House on the outskirts of Ashbourne to aid with planning permission for a home to be built on land they own adjacent to the property. You can read more about that project HERE.

This year has also seen the heritage team expand their geographical coverage. We worked further afield on projects in Staffordshire, rural Barnsley and at the Cannon Hall Estate in South Yorkshire and in the Victorian seaside town of Filey.

Jowett House Farm, Cannon Hall Estate

For updates on these projects and more information on all things planning and architecture related, as well as expert advice and opinion, sign up to receive our free Monthly Newsletter.

To discuss how we can assist with your own heritage project, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01332 347371 or email enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk.

Tales from the city – Derbyshire Life

29th November 202221st September 2021 by Gary Stringer

In an article written for Derbyshire Life “Tales from the city”, Jon Millhouse, a chartered town planner, member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and specialist in heritage and conservation at Planning & Design Practice Ltd, explores Derby’s industrial past.

Rivers have been central to our human story since time immemorial. They have given us water, food, protection, connectivity, trade and industry. They have determined the location and shape of our towns and cities.

Derby is no different. In fact, there are few stretches of water which offer as much historical interest, as the River Derwent through Derby. And yet, Derby has for many years turned its back on and ignored its river, despite it running through the heart of the city.

2021 is an important year for the River Derwent in Derby. It marks the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Derby Silk Mill, and the present building opens its doors to the public once again as a “Museum of Making”. It also sees a regular boat service return to Derby for the first time this year in decades in the form of a riverboat between Exeter bridge in the city centre and Darley Abbey Mills a mile upstream.

I decided to walk this fascinating route, to admire its buildings and bridges, and contemplate its history, interest, and intrigue.

My journey starts beside the majestic Council House, an example of 1930s neoclassicism overlooking the little used and underappreciated river terrace. In front of the Council House the graciously curving river basin creates an expansive and calm body of water which looks as though it was created for picturesque, reflective effect, but was in fact like much else in this area a product of an industrial past.

On the north side of the basin, the solid looking stone-built Exeter Bridge looks monumental and capable of withstanding a siege, as if marking an important crossing point, but is little used nowadays having been superseded by later concrete structures. The pillars of the bridge are adorned by motifs of local luminaries, Herbert Spencer, (Philosopher), Rasmus Darwin, (Physician, Botanist and Poet) and John Lombe (Founder of the Silk Mill).

On the eastern bank is Exeter House, an attempt at a modernist apartment block, with its “streets in the sky” balconies and communal green space overlooking the river. But with it’s bright red front doors and chimney pots it is not the purest example of modernism -more Leytonstone than Le Corbusier!

The Council House, Exeter House, magistrates court and adjacent roundabout were all part of the 1931 central improvement plan by Derby Council Architect Charles Herbert Aslin. It is ironic that the roundabout -a feature beloved by mid-twentieth century municipal planners -survives as an ornamental centrepiece despite having little practical use given traffic restrictions on nearby roads. This was an era when the confidence and power of the urban planner was at it’s peak. The old world boldly swept away to be replaced with new ways of living and working.

North of the river there is a forlorn looking piece of land sandwiched between the river and the monolithic ring road known as ‘North Riverside’. Earmarked for redevelopment projects for years which have never quite happened, it now seems disjointed and unloved. Look at a late 19th century map however and a very different picture is painted -one of canal docks, wharfs and tightly packed terraced housing. You can almost imagine the hustle and bustle of the dockyards, kids in rags playing by the canal, and thirsty workers drinking in the pubs and fighting in the street. The Exeter arms survives as a remnant -if only its walls could talk!

Beyond Exeter Bridge a newly built Premier Inn hotel overlooks the river on the site of what was once a grand townhouse known as Exeter house, where bonnie Prince Charlie famously signed documents to concede the retreat of his invading Jacobite army in 1745. The prince travelled through Derbyshire on route to London not because he was anticipating a Premier Inn, but because he was anticipating the people of Derbyshire to be sympathetic to his cause and willing to take arms and join the march South. It is hard to imagine Derbyshire as a hotbed of Scottish nationalist fervour -unless perhaps Scotland do well in the European football championships this summer.

A modern footbridge affords a pleasant view of the famous Silk Mill, a rebuild of the original mill constructed between 1718 and 1721 for John Lombe. Revolutionary in its day for its scale and use of technology, Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, famously visited Derby in 1720 and stood in awe at the sight of it. The Silk Mill is considered by many to have been the world’s first factory, yet until very recently it was less celebrated than Arkwrights and Strutts Mills further up the Derwent valley at Cromford and Belper. Granted, the present Silk Mill building is a rebuild (although remnants of the original survive beside the river), but the Silk Mill was a good half century earlier than its more illustrious neighbours. It also has the added benefit of a Hollywood-esque spy story. Italian authorities reputedly sent an assassin to kill John Lombe for industrial espionage, having himself apparently stolen silk throwing secrets after a visit to Piedmont. Lombe dies suddenly in 1722. It is good to see the building having finally undergone restoration and transformation into to a public museum, the new Museum of Making, part of the Derby Museum portfolio.

Another building which is undervalued, and overdue restoration is St. Mary’s Bridge Chapel. One of only a handful of its type in the country, the mediaeval bridge and chapel present an evocative riverside vista, celebrated in 19th century paintings but now sadly dominated by the thousands of vehicles rumbling passed daily on the concrete flyover built in the 1970s just feet away.

On past the remnants of old Victorian factories and foundries, developed when Derby was the workshop to the world and supplying materials for notable buildings such as Bombay Pier and London’s Albert suspension bridge.A symbol of the brute strength and power of the area’s industrial past survives in the form of Handyside Bridge, a stout but nevertheless gracious iron bridge, once taking steam engines but now enjoyed by pedestrians.

To the west is Strutts Park, a pleasant suburb of late nineteenth/ early twentieth century houses, some in the arts and crafts style, on the site of the original Roman settlement in Derby.

Into Darley Park, a wonderfully attractive green lung, made more accessible by a recently constructed riverside path. This is classic English parkland from the old Darley Hall, gracefully sweeping down to the river and framed by specimen trees. The hall is long gone but its terrace survives as a cafe, offering a celebrated view back to the cathedral -if only the tower of a recently built hotel didn’t jostle for your attention.

On the opposite side of the river is the suburb of Little Chester, so named in recognition of it being the location of Derby’s second Roman settlement -Derventio. Remnants of the Roman settlements were recently uncovered in an archaeological dig which preceded the construction of a flood defence wall. The wall was then rather pleasingly built to follow the original perimeter wall of the Roman fort, complete with pillars to mark the entrance and narrow Roman style bricks.

The Evans family who built Darley Hall made their fortune from cotton spinning in the adjacent Darley Abbey Mills. The associated workers community survives today as a much sought-after London style ‘urban village’. Clusters of former millworkers cottages exist as if in a time capsule. Once a place of overcrowding and hard, gritty lives I’m sure, but today quaint and benign.

A remnant of the Cistercians Abbey which predicated the mill still exists as a popular drinking establishment, albeit currently closed.
Over the river the mill complex itself is a hub of activity -creative businesses, studios, artisan eateries, local people milling about.

Here the river boat -and this particular walk- terminate. A short stretch of river but 2000 years of history and much to admire

“Tales from the city” was originally written for, and appeared in Derbyshire Life – Volume 90 Issue 7, July/ August 2021

The Strutt Legacy

28th February 202025th February 2020 by Gary Stringer

Walk around Belper, Holbrook or Makeney and you may not realise how much of the fabric of these places was shaped by one family; the Strutts. Jon Millhouse and George Henshaw of Planning & Design Practice Ltd, writing for Derbyshire Life, discuss what they have discovered about the Strutt family’s built legacy, through their projects and research.

Many people will be familiar with Strutt’s North Mill at Belper, built by William Strutt in 1804 using a revolutionary iron-framed fire proof design, to replace the cotton spinning mill constructed by his father Jedediah Strutt in 1786 but destroyed by fire in 1803. Thanks to the designation of the Derwent Valley Mills as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, there is also increasing awareness of the role that Strutt’s mills along with a handful of other late 18th Century pioneering cotton mills within the valley, played in kick-starting the industrial revolution and establishing the blueprint for the factory system and dependent industrial communities.

The Strutts were not only responsible for building cotton mills and workers housing however. They built various community facilities for their workers at Belper and Milford, and also built or upgraded a number of outlying farms to secure a reliable food source. After selling the mills in 1897, the family set about expanding and re-developing Belper. Much of the fabric of the town as it stands today can be attributed to the Strutts, and many of the houses and farms in neighbouring villages can trace their history back to the family’s investments.

Jon explains more “I have been fortunate enough to work on several projects involving the restoration of Strutt properties. Learning more about their history has proved fascinating. We obtained consent for the restoration and re-use of a 17th century farmhouse and barns at Highfield Farm Holbrook on behalf of trustees of the estate, who still own and manage a handful of properties in the area. Also on behalf of the estate, we recently submitted an application to restore Larch Tree Cottage at Hazelwood, a delightful building dating back to the 17th century and (we believe) the oldest property in the village.

At Grange Farm, Milford, a former Strutt farm now in private ownership, we obtained consent for the conversion of a disused stone barn, which should help to secure its long term future.”

Grange Farm enjoys a pleasant outlook on a hill overlooking Milford, where Jedediah Strutt also built a cotton mill and workers housing.

Jon continues “One of our most interesting projects was at Holly House Farm, Blackbrook, for its links to the Strutt story, even though it was never owned by the estate. Holly House Farm was owned by the Slater family. Samuel Slater, also known as “Slater the Traitor”, famously absconded to America after serving an apprenticeship at Strutt’s Mill in Milford, taking its industrial secrets with him. He built ‘Slater Mill’ in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793, America’s first fully mechanised cotton spinning mill. Fondly remembered in the States as ‘the father of the American Manufacturers’ he helped to set the country on its path to becoming an industrial super power. You might say that this was all part of the Strutt legacy, even though the family would presumably not have approved at the time!

Only a ruin survives where the original farmhouse once stood, although Slater’s descendants did return in the 1920s to construct a much larger farmhouse immediately to the north, in the grand American neoclassical style. It is doubtful whether the remnants of the original farmhouse would survive for too many more years, so we obtained consent for a novel, contemporary building which will span and showcase the old ruins, hopefully preserving them for prosperity.”

Having made their mills as efficient as possible, the Strutts decided to use their industrial expertise by experimenting on the farms. Their understanding of factory work flows led to unconventional yet efficient farm layouts, for example taking advantage of the fall of the land to aid movement of raw materials between each process. Examples of these layouts can be found at Dalley Farm and Cross Roads Farm, close to the family home of Bridge Hill, providing easy access for experimentation whilst providing produce for the family and large workforce. Wyver Farm at Belper and Moscow Farm at Milford were also built on these principles.

William Strutt, eldest son of Jedediah, focused his energies on fire resistant construction methods, the industry being blighted by early timber frame buildings when containing flammable cotton material. Using an iron framed construction, the mills became fireproof and after applications at Belper, Milford and Darley Abbey the Strutts moved onto making their model farms fireproof.

The building of the estate portfolio by the Strutts resulted in the purchase of existing farmsteads, mostly in poor condition, where improvements were also made.

The major innovation of farm buildings by the Strutts ended around 1860, although it was still encouraged with the Strutt’s architects, Hunter & Woodhouse, winning second place in a national competition by the Royal Agricultural Society for model farm buildings in 1911.

Hunter & Woodhouse were not only commissioned by the Strutts to work on farm buildings, but the renovation of a number of important Strutt based houses in the area as well as the construction of many new buildings, particularly in Belper.

Jon concludes “the Strutts left a technological legacy, but also a physical one, which we can still appreciate today.”

Jon Millhouse is a Chartered Town Planner and member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. He can be contacted on 01332 347371.

Design proposals for Holly House Farm at Blackbrook

Derbyshire Life – Constructive Conservation

27th October 202014th March 2019 by Gary Stringer

Chartered Town Planning Consultant Jon Millhouse of Derby-based Planning & Design Practice Ltd, discusses three recent projects at Holbrook, Breadsall and Ambergate, aimed at revitalising historic Derbyshire places in Constructive Conservation written for Derbyshire Life.

Hidden amongst our towns and villages are historic buildings of all kinds. They are important to our sense of history; part of the fabric of our communities. Sometimes, these buildings are no longer required for their original use. They become vacant and run down, and the money needed to restore them cannot be found. Finding a viable use is often key to securing the restoration and long term maintenance of our historic buildings. This is not always easy, however. There are practical and bureaucratic challenges to overcome. Where new uses can be found and new investment stimulated, the outcome can be most rewarding.

Jon Millhouse and his colleagues at Planning and Design Practice have sought to combine planning know-how with creativity and sensitivity to older buildings, in order to devise proposals that would bring about the restoration of a number of historic buildings in the county.

One such proposal is the redevelopment of Highfield Farm at Holbrook. Planning & Design Practice obtained planning and Listed Building consent on behalf of the Trustees of the Strutt Estate, for the restoration and re-use of a 17th century farmhouse and barns, and the construction of a sympathetically designed new house in the grounds.

At Brookside Farm, Breadsall, a delightful old farmstead formerly owned by the Harpur Crewe Estate in the heart of the Breadsall Conservation Area, permission was granted for a re-use scheme involving the restoration of the farmhouse, renovation and conversion of two barns and construction of two new homes alongside.

At the former Ambergate Social Club, which was originally an 18th century farm owned by the Hurt Estate, consent was obtained for the restoration and re-use of an old farmhouse and barn, and the construction of new homes on the site of the derelict social club and car park.

Jon explains the process: ‘The starting point, and my favourite part of the job, is to look at a site, identify all the constraints and opportunities, and come up with an idea – a concept for unlocking the site’s potential.

At Holbrook for example, I was keen to include a new build home in the proposals if possible, to help raise the value of the site and potentially cross-fund the renovation of the older buildings.

I also wanted to include within the proposals the restoration of an outlying barn which on its own was too small for alternative uses, but with a small extension, would make a good holiday let. The next step is to discuss with the local Council how the proposal might fit with relevant planning policies. At Holbrook, we were able to secure the Council’s in-principle support for the extension of the outlying barn (despite the barn itself being situated just inside the Green Belt) by siting the new build element inside the farmhouse garden, and their support for the new house by siting it in a discreet location in place of an ugly modern farm building.

At Ambergate, we discussed with the Council the principle of changing the use of the site from a disused social club to residential accommodation, and the concept of building a short terrace of houses, which we felt was appropriate for the Derwent Valley. The terrace would address the A6 when entering or exiting the village whilst still maintaining views of the old farmstead beyond.

At Breadsall, despite the site being in the heart of the village where new build accommodation is potentially acceptable in principle, we wanted to take a sensitive approach, working with and re-using the existing buildings and carefully inserting some new development alongside, rather than wholesale redevelopment. The old farm had so much character that it deserved a sensitive approach.

I remember a Councillor describing the farm, when the application eventually came before the Planning Committee, as “a little piece of paradise”.

After initial feedback has been received from the Council, we would typically consult other interested groups – Parish Councils, the highway authority as well as carrying out various technical surveys

Once all of this information has been collected, the detailed designs can be begun in earnest’.

Working with historic sites can often reveal interesting nuggets of local history.

Jon explains: ‘At Ambergate, after checking old maps it quickly became apparent that we were dealing with an old farm of considerable age, despite most people who know the site probably only thinking of it as a social club. We then spotted some initials on a date stone, suggesting a connection with the Hurt family – industrialists and major landowners 150 years ago.

‘At Holbrook, we commissioned an archaeological report which uncovered an old floorplan drawing of the barns prepared for the Strutts before they upgraded the farm. It showed how the family were trying to create a type of “model farm”. Some, but not all of their vision was carried out.

‘You then start to appreciate how the history of these individual places links with the history of the wider area. The Strutts were presumably trying to apply their industrial knowhow to farming, in order to feed their mill workers at Belper. Jedediah Strutt was also from a farming family, even inheriting a farm at Blackwell from one of his uncles before he set up his mills.

‘Historic properties such as these can provide a little window into our past. We hope that by facilitating the re-use of such sites, their heritage interest can be better revealed and maintained over the longer term.

‘Constructing new buildings in Conservation Areas, or next to Listed Buildings, is not always universally popular. There are some who would prefer to see such places left untouched. I agree that a balance must be struck, and there are places where new development wouldn’t be appropriate. However, historic buildings can quickly deteriorate if left derelict. Finding a viable use is key to securing long term upkeep. There are many instances where the right type of development can make a positive contribution to the conservation of our heritage.’

Constructive Conservation was originally published in Derbyshire Life March 2019

Derbyshire’s Hidden Architectural Heritage

12th December 202220th November 2017 by Gary Stringer

50 years after the Civic Amenities Act first introduced Conservation Areas, Jon Millhouse highlights some less celebrated but nonetheless notable county treasures, in Derbyshire’s hidden architectural heritage.

Working with buildings across Derbyshire for the previous 13 years, I have come to greatly appreciate our varied architectural heritage. The county’s grand stately homes and picturesque Peak District villages are well known and rightly celebrated, however, it is the more humble and lesser known historic buildings which have often surprised and interested me.

In villages around Ashbourne, for example, I have encountered unassuming brick and tile cottages which on closer inspection reveal medieval origins – ‘cruck’ frames buried in gable walls, box timber frames hidden behind brick facades and evidence of old thatched roofs. I have sipped tea in the kitchens of farmhouses that appear unchanged for centuries – particularly those still at the heart of working farms which have therefore retained their rustic atmosphere.

In Osmaston, Snelston and Doveridge, parkland landscapes and delightful estate buildings survive as a reminder of the grand mansion houses which once graced the landscape.

In Matlock, the elegant Georgian and Victorian terraced houses at Knowleston Place are reminiscent of Bath or Kensington, yet they are tucked away and little known. Climb the cobbled hill opposite Knowleston Place and one reaches ‘Old Matlock’, with its medieval Church of St Giles and grand 17th century Wheatsheaf Farmhouse that evokes an earlier era.

In Amber Valley, the industrial heritage of the former Butterley Company (the iron and brick manufacturers who were responsible for London’s St Pancras Station), is undervalued in comparison to that of the Derwent Valley.

Early examples of company–built worker’s housing and model farms still survive on the firm’s old estate, as well as a 3,063 yard canal tunnel and subterranean wharf beneath its old ironworks at Ripley. There are other unexpected finds in the area, too – the thatch-roofed Moulders Arms public house at Riddings, for example.

I was fortunate enough to work for the Sitwell Estate of Renishaw Hall near Chesterfield for a time, and encountered old mills, cottages and farm buildings discreetly hidden in North East Derbyshire villages.

Built during the estate’s heyday in the 17th century, these buildings appeared to have barely changed in the time since, as the settlements around them grew larger as a consequence of the area’s coal reserves.

The city of Derby is also home to some lesser known heritage assets. Occasional visitors to the city may be familiar with the historic Cathedral Quarter and Georgian Friar Gate, but less aware that several of the suburbs retain historic village cores (Allestree and Darley Abbey for example), or that Derby contains several fine examples of 19th century terraced housing (such as Railway Terrace and North Parade).

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of England’s first Conservation Area. Defined as ‘an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’, Conservation Area designation has proved to be a useful means of protecting the character of historic enclaves within Derbyshire, as elsewhere, and there are now nearly 300 Conservation Areas within the county. The Trusley Conservation Area was designated by Derbyshire County Council on 25th July, 1968 – making it one of the first in England and the first in the South Derbyshire district.

There are also hundreds of individually Listed buildings, as well as the Derwent Valley Mill’s status as a World Heritage Site. Designated status has helped to protect these heritage assets and encourage appreciation of them, which is to be applauded. It is also worth remembering, however, that there are countless other ‘non-designated’ historic buildings of worth, which often get overlooked.

As I have found during the course of my work, there is much within the county to discover and admire when it comes to our hidden architectural heritage.

Jon Millhouse is a Chartered Town Planning Consultant and Director at the Planning and Design Practice, based in Derby and Matlock. He can be contacted on 01332 347371.

Derbyshire’s ‘Hidden’ Architectural Heritage was originally published in Derbyshire Life November 2017