Mills and Boon

Vaillant is proud to continue supporting the Arkwright Society and their magnificent Cromford Mills site with heating appliances and maintenance.

Cromford Mills is part of the UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) that includes sites along the River Derwent. It is the only World Heritage Site in the East Midlands, stretching from Matlock Bath to Derby, and includes a series of historic mill complexes, including some of the world’s first factories.

The Arkwright Society is well on its journey to transform Cromford Mills from a derelict site to a thriving community hub. The renovated buildings include creative workspaces, shops, restaurants, office accommodation, galleries, and educational facilities.

Recognising the importance of this resource for its unique significance, Vaillant has been working closely with the Arkwright Society to provide support for a variety of appliances in the many buildings across the site. The aim is to reduce the energy use and associated costs for the site with condensing boilers or renewable technologies where possible. Recently this included the donation of Vaillant commercial boilers for buildings that were previously heated by very old and inefficient cast iron floor standing boilers.

Plans for supporting renovations at Cromford Mills include the design of a renewable energy system. This will be installed with the ambition to create a zero-carbon building in the complex. Vaillant heat pumps and related equipment will be donated to the site and will use the original water course to extract the required energy. Once again, the mills at Cromford will use energy from the environment, just as they did when they were first built.

Marketing Director for Vaillant Group UK, Alice Woolley, commented, “It’s very exciting to be able to contribute to such an important scheme of works. Vaillant is working with several sites along the UNESCO DVMWHS to phase out the use of fossil fuels and introduce more environmentally friendly ways to heat these special buildings. Where this isn’t possible, we’re supplying our efficient boilers. Our expertise in heat pumps and our location in Belper makes this a perfect collaborative project. It’s an honour to be involved.”