Join our knowledgeable guides for a tour around the Mill and/or village. See history come to life in the Arkwright Experience or learn about the wider Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in our Visitor Centre. We can tailor our tours to the specific needs of your group, to fit your topic or exam specification. Please get in touch to discuss your options.

Focus:

• The Industrial Revolution
• The local and national impact of the mills
• The development of the site
• Cotton spinning processes and history
• Richard Arkwright – good or bad?

Duration: 1-4 hours depending on your programme.

Suitable for: KS3, KS4 and 6^th Form. We can currently take groups of up to 65 per day.

Structure: Fully led. There are also options for self-led elements.

Price: £7.50 per pupil for a full day. £5.50 per pupil for a half day.

Learn from the past and think ahead to the future in this practical STEM-based exploration into sustainable living. Taking inspiration from Cromford’s past, students will design their own communities in the morning, and learn how to power them using renewable energy in the afternoon.

Duration: 5 hours

Suitable for: 1 class of KS3/KS4 pupils.

Structure: Fully led

Price: £7.50 per pupil.

Eco Day Sustainable Communities Programme

Come and develop your computing, filming, and presenting skills.  With one led workshop and self-led activities you’ll soon be directing and starring in your own Cromford-inspired film.

Bring your digital cameras or tablets and we’ll set you up to make your own Cromford-inspired film.  You can choose to make either a short factual documentary or a short drama about children of the mills.  We’ll provide suggestions, characters, cues and props and you can use the mills and surroundings as your film set!  Your pupils will take on different roles – filming, presenting, acting, directing, and scripting and you can take your footage back to school to edit and present.

Suitable for: 1 class of KS3 pupils.

Time: 5 hours.

Structure: Part-led. Can be fully led by Cromford Mills staff for an additional cost, please let us know when booking.

Price: £6.00 per learner – this day includes the Arkwright Experience.

The Director’s Cut Programme

Can’t visit the mills in person? Take advantage of our virtual visits to ask all your questions. We will give a 30 minute presentation on your chosen theme, then answer your questions for 15 minutes.

Themes available:

• Cromford Mills as a Visitor Attraction – Learn about the behind-the-scenes workings of a World Heritage Site visitor attraction. Ideal for Travel and Tourism courses, but this can also be tweaked to be used as part of your Careers activities.
• Enslavement Links to the Cotton Industry in the Derwent Valley Mills – Take a global view on the Industrial Revolution and learn about the links between enslavement and the cotton industry, through the lens of the Derwent Valley Mills in Derbyshire.
• The Role of Cromford Mills in Britain as the First Industrial Nation – within the national context of industrialisation, learn about the history of Cromford Mills and how, when and why Arkwright changed the world.
• Cromford Mills: The Tour – Join our knowledgeable guide for a real time wander around Cromford Mills. Stop in 3 key locations to discuss the history of the mill and the part it played in the wider British Industrial Revolution. See a video of Arkwright’s waterframe in action and finish off with a chance to ask your questions.

Suitable for: 1 x KS3 or KS4 class. Please let us know your specific area of study and how far through your topic you are when you book, so that we can tailor the presentation accordingly.

Timings: 45 minutes

Price: £60 per session.

Structure: Online. You will require a stable internet connection for this workshop. For an additional cost, we can also come out to your school and deliver the first 3 sessions in person.

Download and use these source sheets to enrich your learning in the classroom!

Source Pack 1 – Opinions about Arkwright

Source Pack 2 – Child Workers

Source Pack 3 – Adverts

Source Pack 4 – Images of the Mills

Source Pack 5 – Transport

KS 3-4 Activity Sheets

KS 3-4 Information Sheets

KS 3-4 Teacher Sheets