Georgian Derbyshire Festival makes its debut with 40 activities over three days in Belper, Cromford, Buxton, Derby

Activities including walking tours, traditional skills demonstrations, play sessions and a Regency ball will celebrate Derbyshire’s contribution to the Georgian era.
By Gay Bolton
Published 15th Sep 2022, 07:19 BST
Updated 15th Sep 2022, 07:20 BST
Georgian costumed tours will be held at Cromford Mills on Sunday, September 18, at 11am.Georgian costumed tours will be held at Cromford Mills on Sunday, September 18, at 11am.
Georgian costumed tours will be held at Cromford Mills on Sunday, September 18, at 11am.

The first Georgian Derbyshire Festival opens on Friday, September 16, 2022 and will offer more than 40 activities during its three-day run.

In the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site, there will be architecture-related events in Derby and Darley Abbey on Friday, water-based activities in Belper on Saturday and society-themed things to do in Cromford on Sunday.

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Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust will host activities including crafts sessions and talks on all three days in the Pump Room, the Assembly Rooms in the Crescent where the Regency masked ball will take place and walking tours within the town centre, with an exhibition at the nearby Buxton Museum and Art Gallery on each day.

During the Georgian era, water was put to work to power the world’s first factories. Further north, the stark, beautiful landscapes of the Peak District and health-giving waters brought the county’s first tourists to Buxton and Matlock Bath.

Each of the three days will have a different theme related to Derbyshire in Georgian times – water, architecture, and society.

Coun Barry Lewis, who chairs the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Partnership, said: ““The first Georgian Derbyshire Festival was planned to take place in 2020, and had to go on hold, with everything else, during the lockdowns. At last, this September, there’s a chance to explore and enjoy an era when Derbyshire was beginning to make waves across the globe and attracting the first of those tourists that are now such an important part of the county’s economy. It’s such an important story, and over three days, people have a chance to engage and have fun with that story.”

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Keen to showcase the work of the trust and their charitable aims, chief exeuctive officer of Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust, Stephen Owen said “We are delighted to be involved in the inaugural Georgian Derbyshire Festival and hope to welcome a wide range of visitors to our sites.”

To find out more and book for activities, visit https://buxtoncrescentexperience.com/tour/georgian-derbyshire-festival-2022 or www.derwentvalleymills.org/georgian-derbyshire-festival-2022/

Related topics:DerbyshireBelperGeorgianBuxton