BBC Antiques Roadshow visit to Derbyshire heritage site set to air this weekend

The programme makers visited Cromford in early summer, attracting a crowd of more than 2,500 people.

Two episodes have already been broadcast as part of the 47th series, and the next will air on Sunday, December 1, at 8pm on BBC One then stream on iPlayer.

Éilis Scott, chief executive of the Arkwright Society which maintains the mill complex, said: “Although the filming seems like a distant memory now, hosting the Antiques Roadshow is a memory that will stay with me.

“The BBC were a pleasure to work with and our outstanding team really pulled together to make the day the success it was.”

She added: “It’s fantastic to have been able to share Cromford Mills and its unique and significant history with the viewers and hope that many will come and explore our site for themselves in the future, especially this Christmas.

“This is what Cromford Mills is all about – bringing people together and celebrating our amazing heritage.”

Among the discoveries documented in the episode, collectibles specialist Mark Hill meets a pilot who has constructed her own planes and brought along a wooden propeller from a biplane.

Elsewhere, jewellery connoisseur Joanna Hardy is dazzled by a colourful collection of opals, and textiles expert Lisa Lloyd takes a trip down memory lane to the most iconic stores on London’s King’s Road in the 1970s and ‘80s with a collection of designs from punk pioneers Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, and there is even a pair of 300-year-old Long Johns, made for an Emperor of Japan.

Local history buffs might want to tune in especially to learn about an archive of beautiful illustrations and designs from the Holmes of Derby carriage company dating back to the 1700s, recently acquired for the collections of Derbyshire County Council.

For the uninitiated, Cromford mills was the site where Sir Richard Arkwright created the world’s first successful water powered cotton spinning mill in the 1770s, starting revolution in manufacturing.

It continues to celebrate innovation and invention today, welcoming visitors to its heritage tours, shops and cafes in the beautiful setting of the Derwent Valley.

For details of more upcoming events, including Christmas markets this weekend and December 14-15, visit cromfordmills.org.uk.

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.