As outlined in the Study Areas post, IF will investigate relevant locations in and around the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site: the cradle of modern industry. Research primarily focuses on two areas in the Georgian and early Victorian town of Derby – which lays claim to the first factory in the world; the nearby industrial village of Darley Abbey; and landscape around the Matlock / Cromford / Wirksworth area. Evidence from other locations (possibly that submitted through community participation) will also be analysed and integrated, where possible and relevant.

The project will explore changes and continuities during the Industrial Revolution, to consider the effects of intensified urbanisation and manufacturing upon folk beliefs and ritual practices. This will involve investigating a sample of domestic, industrial and commercial buildings, sites, monuments, landscapes, and other features and spaces, dating to the late 1700s – to mid-1800s; or earlier contexts with activity potentially dating to this time; developing previous and ongoing research.

The project will seek partnerships with local communities, organisations, groups and businesses, through which public educational activities and resources might be developed, to share findings; and potentially to provide information on community participation in various ways data collection and recording, through workshops, and using online resources; more information will be provided in the future.

It aims to expand understanding of the hopes and fears of people in the past, which might in turn help us to understand cultures and societies today; as well as enhancing what we know about the places in which we now live, work and relax, potentially informing the decisions we make regarding the development of local environments and communities.