John Smedley has been a pioneer in designing, manufacturing, and producing high-quality, luxurious knitwear for over 240 years. The factory at Lea Mills, dating from 1784, is an important component of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and continues in production today. It is also the home or a remarkable collection of over 23,000 items (examples of products as well as paper records and photographs) that make up the company archive.

Our visit will start with a factory tour to see the production process from yarn to finished garment. After a break for lunch and an opportunity to visit the factory shop, the company’s archivist Jane Middelton Smith will tell us something about the history of the buildings, and an exclusive look into the archive.

Organised by the Industrial Archaeology Section

Library open upstairs on the 1st floor.

A rare opportunity to see Radbourne Hall an 18^th century Palladian country house completed in 1742 for the Pole family and lived in by their descendants ever since, set in 200 acres including parkland, woodland and a lake. The house is filled with family heirlooms, including a fine collection of paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby. The Hall is not normally open to the public and we have reserved a number of places for DAS members on one of the tours managed by Historic Houses.

 Bookings through the Historic Houses booking system

Organised by the Architecture Section

Library open upstairs on the 1st floor.