Structural repairs, groundworks, restoration and construction is progressing at pace at Wavensmere Homes’ redevelopment of the former 18th Century Milford Mills, which overlooks the River Derwent, located between Belper and Duffield in north Derbyshire. The first roofs are in place, with internal works progressing, ready to welcome new homeowners from October 2026.
The £22m development comprises 69 new homes constructed from locally quarried stone and natural slate within the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site. Accessed off Derby Road (A6) in the centre of Milford village, the redevelopment of the former cotton mill incorporates 42 two- and three-bedroom houses and 27 one- and two-bedroom apartments, within a four-storey building overlooking the River Derwent and Mill Lade.
Back in its heyday, Milford Mills housed some of the world’s first mechanised industrial spinning factories. Major structural works to the existing heritage stone boundary walls, including essential sympathetic reconstruction and repairs, have been meticulously completed by Wavensmere’s specialist contractors. The historic features that have being painstakingly restored include the Mill Lade that runs through the development and now feeds a hydroelectric power plant downstream. Across the 4.7-acre site, all internal roads and service installations have also been constructed.
Many of the two- and three-bedroom houses, which are priced from £265,000 to £440,000, have already been matched with buyers off-plan. The full redevelopment, restoration and construction programme – including completion of the waterside apartment building – is scheduled to conclude by mid-2027.
Donna Smith, Sales Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “We’ve been thrilled with the local support and strong interest from homeowners as we continue to make progress with this unique £22m redevelopment project.
“Occupying a prime site in the centre of one of North Derbyshire’s most well-regarded villages, people have been waiting for many years to see significant investment and new life injected into Milford Mills. The beautiful rural setting, community spirit, and easy access to Derby and the Peak District, makes these homes really desirable, especially amongst the traditional housing stock available in Milford.
“These 69 energy-efficient houses and apartments are designed for first time buyers, families and downsizers. We are proud that skilled local craftsmanship and our fine attention to detail is creating a highly sustainable development to add to the village’s vibrancy and appeal. With these natural stone homes becoming ready to move into within a few months, vying purchasers need to get in touch with us to avoid missing out on their preferred plot.”
The high specification houses are installed with air source heat pumps, while the apartments will have electric heating, with solar PV panels fitted to the roof of the building to generate renewable energy. The homes are complemented by 1.5-acres of public open space and the recent restoration of the Grade II listed Dye House by Chevin Homes to form a 4,500 sq ft commercial premises.
Milford village offers local amenities including the Elephant and Peacock bar and restaurant, Strutt Arms hotel, schooling, and an array of scenic countryside walks. The neighbouring village of Duffield – with Ecclesbourne Secondary School – is a mile away, while the market town of Belper is under two miles from the development. There are train stations at both Duffield and Belper offering frequent services across the region and beyond. Derby city centre is 6.5 miles away via the A6, which is the main road into Milford.
The UNESCO world heritage site was inscribed in 2001 in recognition of the importance of the Derwent Valley’s water-powered industries to the Industrial Revolution and the universal significance of the River Derwent textile mills. The UNESCO zone runs from Derby in the south to Matlock in the north. Milford Mills straddles the centralising spine of the River Derwent, critical to the area’s growth and current character, as it bends northwards to the main vehicular route of Derby Road.
Wavensmere Homes has become one of Derby’s most prominent residential developers, with the recently completed multi-award-winning Nightingale Quarter regarded one of the finest regeneration and restoration assets in the region. The former Derby Royal Infirmary on London Road – which had laid derelict for a decade – has been transformed into a vibrant new community, including over 900 houses and apartments.
The Birmingham-headquartered housebuilder is also well underway with restoration and construction to redevelop Friar Gate Goods Yard in Derby city centre. The nationally significant £80m mixed-use project is reanimating two landmark Grade II listed buildings into over 110,000 sq ft of commercial space, alongside 276 new build homes.
Across the city on Full Street, work will soon start at Wavensmere’s £30m redevelopment of one of the final plots of vacant land within Derby’s newly revitalised Cathedral Quarter. 195 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments will be delivered at ‘Cathedral One’ within a finely detailed u-shaped nine-storey red brick building at the former police station site.
Wavensmere Homes has other major urban regeneration schemes located in central Birmingham, Cheltenham, Ipswich, and Wolverhampton, with further projects across middle England in the immediate pipeline. The Edgbaston-headquartered housebuilder has around 3,500 new homes either under construction or in planning.
To register your interest in the new homes for sale at Milford Mills, email info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)wavensmere.co.uk