derbyshire historic buildings trust autumn 2024

We are seeking a new Vice Chair to work with our Board of Trustees to lead the charity into its next phase of development.

We are seeking someone with excellent leadership skills and governance experience who is passionate about our built heritage.

DHBT currently employs 1.6 FTE staff members and has a Trustee Board of 9 who ensure the charity runs according to its constitution.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The Vice Chair, along with other board members, has the primary function of ensuring that the Trust complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and other relevant legislation or regulations.

In the short term the Vice Chair will be expected to understand, interrogate and embrace the Trust's growth strategy and lead its completion into a business plan for 2024-2029. They will work with the Chair towards a potential transfer of responsibilities in 2025.

Longer term, the Vice Chair will provide inclusive leadership and set standards by example; always ensuring the Board understands and makes decisions in accord with the Trust's core values.

The Board is an active group and you will be expected to commit real time - up to the equivalent of 10-15 hours per week whilst getting used to the role, then likely to reduce to 6-10 hours per week. The Board meets 4-5 times each year and the Vice Chair will also be expected to represent the Trust at various advocacy and cultural events. Current trustees take part in sub-committees and working groups to help deliver specific functions in greater detail.

A full role description and further information, including how to apply, can be found here:

Deadline for expressions of interest: 5pm, 11th October 2024.

welcome to anna - DHbt's heritage development officer

We're delighted to welcome Anna Cluley to the DHBT team. Anna started in her role as Heritage Development Officer in August. This is a new role created as part of our current National Lottery Heritage Fund project.

Anna will be leading the work to undertake condition surveys of all Grade II listed buildings. The surveys will start in the Amber Valley Borough Council area and then move on to Derby City. Our aim is to survey all Grade II listed buildings within the county.

Anna's work will help to ensure the DHBT becomes a more resilient organisation that will save, sustain and champion vulnerable heritage buildings in Derbyshire for the benefit of local communities. The volunteer-led surveys will provide valuable information about the condition of buildings and which ones require the most attention.

Anna will be working closely with Tricia Trice, who is identifying ways of incorporating training and heritage skills into all of our work.

To get to know Anna a little better, we asked her a few welcome questions:

Q. Welcome Anna! Tell us where you live?

I live in Matlock, Derbyshire.

Q. When did you first become interested in historic buildings?

Growing up in the Peak District, almost within sight of Chatsworth House, I was always fascinated by old buildings and the stories they could tell about life for different groups of people in the past.

I grew up in an area that was full of quirky old buildings, and I vividly remember going on family walks and bombarding my parents with questions about their origins. Later, as my interest in history more generally developed and I began reading more widely on varying periods, I still retained an interest in historic buildings- often the lone survivors of bygone ages. Some of my favourite History projects at school involved researching and investigating Peveril Castle in Castleton and All Saints Parish Church in Bakewell.

After school, I went on to study Archaeology at the University of York - a city steeped in history and full of architectural gems- and was privileged enough to be able to undertake a Buildings Archaeology project on a number of these as part of my undergraduate studies.

Outside of academic study, I also retained my childlike delight at visiting historic houses and buildings and (as my husband will confirm!) avidly devouring the stories of those who built them and lived and worked there.

Q. Where did you work before joining DHBT?

I worked at Hathersage St. Michael’s Primary School as a Class Teacher and Subject Leader, for just over ten years before joining the DHBT.

Q. What first attracted you to the Heritage Development Officer role?

I liked that the role was a new position, based locally, that was looking to to help local people take ownership of their own heritage and protect historic buildings at risk within Derbyshire.

Q. Outside of work, do you have any interesting or unusual hobbies?

I sometimes feel like I have too many hobbies and not enough time! Some of my biggest interests (outside of visiting various English Heritage and National Trust properties) are sailing and other water sports.

Myself and my husband sail together at Carsington Water and also like to take our boat around the country sailing on other inland and coastal waters. As well as sailing, I love swimming, hill walking and travelling to beautiful places in our bright green campervan Kermit! I am even lucky enough to sometimes be able to incorporate all these interests into one trip!

Closer to home, I really enjoy spending time in our garden, finding ways we can make it more friendly and inviting to local wildlife such as birds, bees and hedgehogs.

DHBT 2024 visits: forthcoming events

Sunday 13th October, 2pm - Dronfield Conservation Area

There are still a handful of tickets left for the visit to Dronfield conservation area on Sunday 13th October. Please add your name to the waiting list if it is sold out.

Dronfield conservation area consists of the old or upper town and lower town along the river Drone where 18th and 19th century metal industries were developed. Dronfield, especially the upper town, contains a rich collection of historic houses, many built with the profits of the 17th and 18th century lead trade and other 15th and 16th century timber-framed buildings which reference the area's relative prosperity in that period.

The meeting place is the court yard of Dronfield Hall Barn, S18 1PX, Dronfield High Street. Parking is in the rear car park of Sainsbury's store, S18 1NW, from which you can walk down to the Barn through the garden. For those who want to arrive early, refreshments are available to purchase at the Barn.

Sunday 17th November, 2pm - Smedley's Hydro, Matlock

Join the tour of Smedley's Hydro. Established in 1853, it was the first and largest of 25 hydros in Matlock.

Smedley’s Hydro, which has dominated the skyline of Matlock Bank since the 1850s, is a curious confection of buildings. Its earliest remaining phases, of 1859 and 1867, were the designs of John Smedley (1803-1874) the great hydrotherapist himself, a self-validated architect just as he was a self-validated doctor. He seems to have been unfazed when the massive ornamental pediments on his new west wing crashed to the ground during construction, never to be rebuilt.

Smedley’s parts of the Hydro contrast markedly with the young G. E. Statham’s contributions of 1880-94, which are as polished and urbane as Smedley’s were clumsy. The phased implementation of Statham’s masterplan at the heart of the hydro complex posed a logistical nightmare for the Smedley company, which had to present a consistently professional and unruffled face to its customers while massive building works were proceeding backstage.

Statham (1854-1893) died aged 38, with his vision for the Hydro never fully realised. The limited later contributions by architects Briggs and Thornely (architects of Liverpool’s famous Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices) were too compromised by site conditions to make a significant artistic contribution.

The Hydro morphed into a hotel in the interwar period as demand for the “water cure” declined, ditching its original Temperance principles in the process, before closing in 1955. After seventy years as a very grand set of County Offices, its future once again hangs in the balance.

Sunday 8th December, 2pm - Masson Mill