Volunteers proud of 19th Century cottage renovation

Volunteers say they are immensely proud of their work transforming a 19th Century cottage built by Florence Nightingale's uncle.

Aqueduct Cottage, near Cromford in Derbyshire, was constructed as a lock-keeper's home in 1802, with the nursing pioneer visiting as a child.

It had been empty since 1970, but after a four-year restoration project it opened to visitors in March 2023.

More than 50,000 people have visited the restored museum and community space, with work ongoing to breathe new life into the outbuildings.

The Grade II-listed cottage, owned by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT), was constructed by local industrialist Peter Nightingale.

Originally a detached one-up one-down building, it was later extended to become a two-bedroom worker's cottage, with a parlour, kitchen and small scullery.

In the late 1800s, the Eaton family had eight children living in the home, with no mains services and drinking water collected from natural springs.

In about 1970, the council declared the building unfit for human habitation and insisted on rehousing the last tenant.

The volunteers have turned the cottage into a "space for everyone" and have no intention of stopping.

DWT volunteer project manager Ron Common said: "There's an immense sense of pride. Everybody's very invested in the place because of all the thousands of hours they put into it.

"The idea for us now is just to share it with the people and the community that have helped rebuild this cottage."

"It was a complete ruin with trees going around it and through it," said Common.

"There was 50 tonnes of debris inside that all had to be removed. There's no road here so everything had to be taken out by hand and put into wheelbarrows,

"I think we did something like two-and-a half thousand wheelbarrow trips over 12 weeks," he added.

The team replaced roofs, laid stone floors, repaired dry stone walls, revived gardens, cleared woodland pathways and installed a lock gate.

"It's just been an ongoing project and we've still got more to do," said Common.

One of those to join the team of volunteers was Jane Berry, who was "always fascinated" by the building on her runs along the canal towpath.

"It's absolutely fantastic getting involved in this kind of thing," she said. "I never thought I'd be able to do it."

A team of over 60 volunteers provided over 10,000 hours of work, local businesses donated £25,000 of materials and technical advisor James Boom gave his expertise for free, and the whole project cost £90,000.

Crowdfunding campaigns raised £30,000 alongside a £35,000 contribution from the Pilgrim Trust and £20,000 from Derbyshire Environmental Trust.

The cottage is open to the public on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 until 13:00 BST, subject to the weather and volunteer availability.

Host volunteers, like Simon Law, show people around, answer questions and educate people about the history of the site.

"We get visitors from all over the place. I've had people from Northern Ireland, South Africa and Germany recently," said Law.

This week, Matlock Bath-based landscape photographer, Andy Gray, is returning to exhibit his work.

"It's just quintessentially English. It's a beautifully restored building, magical atmosphere and it's set in some really beautiful ancient woodland, so it's the perfect space to show off my artwork," he said.

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