Lumsdale Tours

Tours in Lumsdale

The Arkwright Society is pleased to offer walking tours of Lumsdale near Matlock, a site of national importance for its industrial heritage. The tours will be at 2pm on Sundays on 7^th July, 4^th August, 1^st September and 6^th October.

They will be led by Christine and Alan Piper, authors of a history of the valley. We will visit the ruined mills of a wide range of industries: from lead smelting in the 17th and 18th centuries, through mineral grinding, cotton spinning and bleaching until the valley’s decline in the 1920s and then to conservation by the Arkwright Society.

Each tour will take about 2 hours and will include supervised access to the area currently closed for safety reasons and the cotton and bleaching mills which are not normally open to the public.

There is a descent of about 200 feet, partly down uneven steps, and a corresponding climb back to the start. Sensible footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are a must. Please note there are no toilets.

There is no need to book in advance. Meet at 2pm in the layby opposite Highfields School (DE4 5NA) in Upper Lumsdale.  A donation of £10 each is requested as a contribution to the costs of maintaining the valley.