Welcome to our website
This website is about a shared vision for a dedicated Arts Centre in the community of New Mills in The High Peak, Derbyshire.
The Preservation Trust has been in existence since 2004, committed to providing a viable future for the beautiful
Victorian chapel of St James the Less on Spring Bank. When the church closes as a place of worship and is purchased
by the Trust, the building will be restored and put back into sound condition.
It will be given a thorough makeover
and developed as an intensive-use venue for arts activities of all kinds. At the same time, its architectural integrity
and outstanding features will be conserved so that visitors will be able to appreciate the building’s important heritage
and its part in the story of the growth of New Mills in the nineteenth century.
For upcoming events please see our Events page
Good News
We now have planning permission for the restoration and conversion of the building, including the new meeting room, toilets and bar at the rear, as shown on the plans on this website.
The Church Commissioners’ legal team are working on the details of the Trust's purchase and we have now appointed a solicitor to work for the Trust.
Our Heritage Lottery bid was entirely successful and other monies are still coming in (See 'News'). The building work is scheduled to start in Dec 2010/Jan 2011 and complete later in 2011.
Among other tasks we are in the process of working out a specification for the technical fit out for which we will need to raise more money.We need good quality lighting, sound and projection to support the highest quality events. 
Heritage Open Day
Along with listed buidings around the country St James the Less will be taking part in Heritage Open Day on Friday September 10th. The church will be open to admire and talk about its future as an arts centre from 11am to 5pm.
In partnership with New Mills Heritage Centre, New Mills Original and the Library there will be a display of photographs of New Mills past and present, an opportunity to create an art work celebrating the church and a genealogy stall.
Refreshments will be available courtesy of the 'MACKS'
In the evening of the same day there will be a performance in the Arts Theatre of the opera based on the Eyam Plague story - The Ring of Stones.
The show starts at 7:30 and tickets are £7 and can be purchased direct from the web site www.theringofstones.co.uk or by telephoning 01663 742364. All proceeds go to the services charity "Help for Heroes"
The Ring of Stones premiered at the Lowry in 2000 as a full length opera. It has now been shortened to a narrated concert version and was very successful in Buxton Fringe this year and is touring the North West before going on to next year's Edinburgh Fringe
Future Events
Take place until further notice at St James' Church, Spring Bank, New Mills at 7:30pm. Tickets from the Derbyshire Building Society, Union Road, New Mills, the Ticket Hotline (01663 746074) and on the door if still available. Tickets include the cost of refreshments. Friends get 50p reduction for tickets booked in advance.
In the event of St James being closed for building work alternative venues will be arranged.
For details of future events please see our events page.