Discover more about Derbyshire's '˜lesser known' houses

The first lecture in the series, Behind the Façade: Renishaw Hall and the Sitwells, takes place today (March 9) from 7pm in the Gothic Warehouse at Cromford Mills.

Cheese and wine will be served from 7pm followed by the talk at 7.30pm.

The stark North Front of Renishaw Hall, perched on a hill in Eckington, gives no hint of the delights which lie behind its austere façade.

Through Renishaw’s 400 years of Sitwell occupancy, archivist, curator and tour guide at Renishaw Hall, Chris Beevers, reveals the rich history of this most unusual house and its remarkable occupants.

Once described by the artist Rex Whistler as ‘the most exciting place I know’, it is still a private family home.

The events are part of a multi-million pound restoration of the Cromford Mills site funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £4 million.

Other charitable donors towards the project include The Monument Trust, AIM Biffa Award, The Garfield Weston Foundation, J P Getty Jr Charitable Trust, Headley Trust, Sylvia Waddilove Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation, and the Architectural Heritage Fund.

The Arkwright Society owns and manages Cromford Mills.

It is an educational charity devoted to the rescue of industrial heritage buildings and helping to preserve the precious built and natural landscape in and around Cromford.

Thanks to National Lottery players, the fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – places like Renishaw Hall.

Tickets for the lecture cost £7.50 and advance booking is recommended as places are limited.

For more information about this and any other events, or to book visit: www.cromfordmills.org.uk or call 01629 823256.