{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use British English|date=August 2015}} {{Infobox Museum |name = Derby Silk Mill |native_name = |native_name_lang = |image = Silkmill1.jpg |image_size = 250 |caption = The museum and the River Derwent |alt = |map_type = United Kingdom Derby Central |map_caption = Location within central Derby |map_alt = |coordinates = {{coord|52.925833|-1.475833|display=inline,title}} |established = 1974 |dissolved = |location = Derby, England |type = Industrial museum |collection_size = |visitors = |director = |president = |curator = |public_transit = |network = |website = https://www.derbymuseums.org/museum-of-making/ }}
'''Derby Silk Mill''', formerly known as '''Derby Industrial Museum''', is a museum of industry and history in Derby, England. The museum is located on the former site of Lombe's Mill, a historic silk mill which marks the southern end of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The site opened as Derby’s Industrial Museum, on 29 November 1974. A £17 million redevelopment scheme started in 2016, and the museum reopened under the new name of the '''Museum of Making''' on 21 May 2021.
==History== The site was adapted for use as Derby’s Industrial Museum, which opened on 29 November 1974. Derby City Council temporarily closed the museum on 3 April 2015<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/Derby_Industrial_Museum.htm | title=The Silk Mill | publisher=Derby City Council | access-date=2010-05-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221113752/http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/Derby_Industrial_Museum.htm | archive-date=21 February 2009 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> to free funds for the redevelopment of the Silk Mill museum and other museums in the city.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} The Report of the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods (Item 7 put before the Council Cabinet meeting held on 26 October 2010) indicated that this would result in the loss of 8.6 full-time jobs but would release £197,000 a year to mitigate the loss of "Renaissance Programme" funding. No date for re-opening was given in the report,<ref name="report">{{Cite web | date=2010-10-26 | url=http://cmis.derby.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=16506 | title=Report of the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods | publisher=Derby City Council | access-date=2011-01-04 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> although a period of two years was reported.<ref>{{Cite web | author=J Royston | date=2011-02-25 | url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Don-t-allow-valuable-museum-sacrificed/article-3268056-detail/article.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527085009/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Don-t-allow-valuable-museum-sacrificed/article-3268056-detail/article.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-05-27 | title=Don't allow this valuable museum to be sacrificed | publisher=This Is Derbyshire | access-date=2011-05-26 }}</ref>
== Museum of Making== In October 2016, a £17 million redevelopment programme started to reinvent and redevelop the museum for the 21st century, incorporating the principles of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.derbymuseums.org/locations/silk-mill|title=Derby Silk Mill Participative Design Workshop|work=Derby Museums|access-date=2017-03-06|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307045845/https://www.derbymuseums.org/locations/silk-mill|archive-date=7 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The redevelopment involved an innovative integrated project insurance (IPI) procurement model which aimed to eliminate the common blame/claim culture within construction projects by creating a shared-risk, alliance-based contract governing all project team members.<ref>{{cite news |title=Speller Metcalfe to use IPI on Derby Silk Mill project |url=https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/speller-metcalfe-use-ipi-derby-silk-mill-project/ |access-date=27 November 2025 |work=Construction Management |date=12 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=Speller Metcalfe wins “non-confrontational” £16m contract |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/12/12/speller-metcalfe-wins-non-confrontational-16m-contract/ |access-date=27 November 2025 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=12 December 2017}}</ref> The alliance members delivered the project on time and to budget, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and suppliers going into administration.<ref>{{cite news |title=Project of the Year (under £20m): winner |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/sections/news/project-of-the-year-under-20m-winner-2-15-09-2021/ |access-date=27 November 2025 |work=Construction News |date=15 September 2021}}</ref>
The museum reopened on 21 May 2021 under the new name of the Museum of Making.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stephens |first1=Simon |title=Derby unveils Museum of Making |url=https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2021/05/derby-unveils-museum-of-making/ |website=Museums Association |access-date=6 October 2021 |date=21 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Grant |first1=John |title=Sneak peek inside Derby Silk Mill as £17m overhaul nears completion |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/sneak-peak-inside-derby-silk-3703755 |website=Derby Telegraph |access-date=13 January 2020 |date=5 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Antonia |title=20 new UK attractions to visit in 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/jan/06/20-new-uk-attractions-visit-2020-adventure-parks-wellbeing-theatres-museums |website=The Guardian |access-date=13 January 2020 |date=6 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brand new Museum of Making opens for the first time|url=https://www.derby.gov.uk/news/2021/may/museum-of-making/}}</ref>
In its first year of opening the new Museum of Making received a 'Highly Commended' placement in the annual Museum+Heritage Awards within the category 'Sustainable Project of the Year'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Museums + Heritage Awards 2021 Winners |url=https://awards.museumsandheritage.com/winners-2021/ |publisher=Museums + Heritage Show Ltd |access-date=6 October 2021}}</ref> In September 2021 it also won the National ''Construction News'' Awards on the category 'Project of the Year Under £25m', as well as five further awards in the Constructing Excellence East Midlands Awards.<ref>{{cite web |title=Collection of awards for Derby's Museum of Making |url=https://d2n2lep.org/collection-of-awards-for-derbys-museum-of-making/ |publisher=D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership |access-date=6 October 2021 |date=17 September 2021}}</ref> On 10 May 2022 it was announced that the Museum of Making was short-listed for the 2022 Art Fund Museum of the Year award.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.derbymuseums.org/news/museum-of-making-shortlisted-for-100000-art-fund-museum-of-the-year-2022/ | title=Museum of Making shortlisted for £100,000 Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 | Derby Museums }}</ref>
The museum exhibits are largely on the upper floors to reduce the amount of damage that would be done in the case of flooding such as that which occurred in October 2023 due to Storm Babet.<ref name=Hawley>{{cite news |last=Hawley |first=Zena |date=21 October 2023 |title=Uncertainty over damage to flooded Derby Museum of Making after Storm Babet hits city centre|url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/uncertainty-over-damage-flooded-derby-8848451 |work=Derby Telegraph |location= |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> Damage caused by the storm led to the closure of the museum until 25 January 2024.<ref name=slater>{{cite news |last=Slater |first=Nigel |date=25 January 2024 |title=Derby's Museum of Making reopens after three-month flood closure |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-68101387 |work=BBC News |access-date=25 January 2024}}</ref> In August 2025 the museum applied for planning permission to fit its workshop area with flood protection.<ref name=Slaterplan>{{cite news |last1=Slater |first1=Nigel|last2=Watson |first2=Greig |date=12 August 2025 |title=Plans announced for defences at flood-hit museum |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74d0w2md1mo |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref>
==See also== *Listed buildings in Derby (Arboretum Ward)
== References == {{reflist}} {{commons category|Derby Industrial Museum - Silk Mill}}
==Further reading and sources of information== *H. E. Butterton (1997), [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Struck-Out-Derby-Crisis-Lock-Out/dp/0952910217 ''Struck out! Derby in Crisis: the Silk Mill Lock-Out 1833-4''], Derby *Derby Evening Telegraph and Derby Library Service (1999), ''Derby Industrial Museum'' *Bill Whitehead (2001), [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Lock-Out-1833-34-Origins-Labour-Movement/dp/B0019ZF712 ''The Derby Lock-Out and the origins of the labour movement'']
== External links == * [https://www.derbymuseums.org/locations/museum-of-making/ Derby Museums: The Museum of Making]
{{Derby Museum}} {{Derby}} {{Derbyshire Places of interest |state=autocollapse}}
Category:Textile mills in England Category:Industry museums in England Category:Textile museums in the United Kingdom Category:Museums established in 1974 Category:Museums in Derby Category:Watermills in Derbyshire Category:Collection of Derby Museum and Art Gallery Category:1974 establishments in England Category:Silk mills Category:1721 establishments in England