Ruth Gray

Heritage consultant Ruth Gray joined the company in September 2021 after gaining a distinction in Public History and Heritage at University of Derby. Her role at Planning and Design Practice includes writing a variety of heritage impact assessments and statements of significance for key developments with the practice including many within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Her research skills mean that she can piece together relevant information from many sources ensuring that the significance of a site is factually thoroughly assessed.

Ruth has previously worked compiling audience and visitor evaluation reports for the museum sector for a charity that supports heritage sector entrants. She is a long-standing member of the Arkwright Society and as a consultant complied a feasibility study for Cromford Mills in 2019 as part of her Masters to test the viability of running adult creative workshops which was to be taken forward in 2020 pre covid. Part of her study was a comparison of Cromford Mills offer with other mill sites around the country including New Lanark and Snape Maltings.

For over a decade Ruth in her capacity as an artist has exhibited her artwork at Cromford Mills in joint and solo exhibitions and supported many DVMWHS projects that the Arkwright Society has been a part of including the Discovery Days and National Lottery Heritage-funded Great Place Scheme.