Aqueduct Cottage, a Grade-II listed former two-bedroom family home on the banks of the Cromford Canal near Whatstandwell, had fallen into disrepair over the years.
However, five years ago, a plan was developed to restore and repurpose the cottage in the heart of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO world heritage centre – and which was reportedly once visited by Florence Nightingale when she lived at nearby Lea Hurst.
Now, the scaffolding has been taken down, revealing the cottage’s stunning restoration for the first time.
Ron Common, volunteer project manager on behalf of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, posting on the Friends of Aqueduct Cottage Facebook page, said: “Dreams do come true.
“It’s been five years in the making, but Aqueduct Cottage is finally reborn.
“I’m feeling so so proud of what our team, past and present, has achieved.”
It is planned to develop the cottage into a education and visitor hub, as a gateway to Lea Wood Nature Reserve.
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1. Waterside location
The cottage is on the banks of the Cromford Canal, close to where it meets the River Derwent near Lea Bridge, between Cromford and Whatstandwell. Photo: Friends of Aqueduct Cottage/Ron Common
2. Gateway to Lea Wood Nature Reserve
On the cottage website, run by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, the trust says: "Being a nature conservation charity, DWT is interested in making use of the building for the purposes of education and as a gateway to the Lea Wood Nature Reserve." Photo: Friends of Aqueduct Cottage/Ron Common
3. Former glory
The cottage website says: "With no connected services and only two bedrooms, family life was basic, cramped and sometimes harsh, and survival meant a reliance on the land for food and water. Despite the tough conditions, generations have made the cottage their home." Photo: Friends of Aqueduct Cottage
4. Transformation
A look at the cottage now from the same angle as the previous black and white photograph. Photo: Friends of Aqueduct Cottage/Ron Common