Florence Nightingale: Derbyshire cottage to reopen to the public

The site will reopen to visitors from 25 March

A 19th Century cottage once visited by Florence Nightingale will reopen to the public after a four-year renovation project was completed.

Aqueduct Cottage, near Cromford in Derbyshire, was visited by the nursing pioneer when she was a child.

Built by her uncle Peter Nightingale in 1802 as a lock-keeper's cottage, it had been empty since 1970 and fallen derelict.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said it would reopen for visitors on 25 March.

Aqueduct Cottage had been empty since 1970

The restoration work saw a new roof, floors and tiling put in place, with walls repointed and stabilised and wildlife gardens created.

Lisa Witham, head of wilder communities at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, thanked donors and restorers for their "hard work" in backing the project.

"Aqueduct Cottage provides an important gateway to Lea Wood Nature Reserve and the wider Derwent landscape, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to showcase more about the area and its wildlife," she said.

Florence Nightingale was brought up at her family home in Lea Hurst, near Matlock, Derbyshire