Swastika Paudel describes her time at the World Heritage UK Spring Workshop 2026 at Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in Matlock Bath.
With the support of the St John’s College Student Opportunities Fund, I was able to attend the World Heritage UK Spring Workshop 2026 at Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in Matlock Bath. As an architect from Nepal currently studying MA International Cultural Heritage Management at Durham University, this was a valuable opportunity to understand how World Heritage management works in practice beyond the classroom.
During my MA, I have been learning about Outstanding Universal Value, conservation, management planning, participatory governance, interpretation and sustainability. At the workshop, these ideas came alive through conversations with World Heritage Site coordinators, heritage professionals and representatives from organisations including World Heritage UK, DCMS, Historic England, ICOMOS-UK and the National Trust.
One of my strongest reflections was that World Heritage is not simply about holding a prestigious international designation. It is about the everyday work of caring for places: governance, planning, funding, interpretation, partnerships, monitoring and public engagement. Visitors often experience the beauty and atmosphere of a heritage site, but much of the work that makes this possible happens quietly behind the scenes.
The workshop also helped me understand that every World Heritage Site has its own management reality. Some sites are clearly bounded, while others, such as Hadrian’s Wall or the Lake District, stretch across vast landscapes, many communities and multiple stakeholders. Yet many sites face similar challenges, including limited resources, planning pressures and the need to involve people meaningfully in heritage stewardship.
A particularly memorable part of the visit was seeing the role of volunteers at Derwent Valley Mills. The boat rides and visitor experience were supported by local volunteers whose knowledge, warmth and pride brought the site to life. Coming from Nepal, where heritage is often sustained through community, ritual and everyday practice, this made me reflect on the different ways societies organise care for heritage.
The workshop has shaped how I think about my transition from architecture into heritage management. Architecture trained me to understand buildings, spaces and materials; heritage management is teaching me to understand values, partnerships, interpretation and responsibility.
I am very grateful to St John’s College and the donors of the Student Opportunities Fund for making this experience possible. It has strengthened my academic learning, expanded my professional network, and given me a clearer sense of the kind of heritage professional I hope to become.
Swastika Paudel
Chevening Scholar 2025-26|MA International Cultural Heritage Management
St Johns College, Durham University
LinkedIn: swastikapaudel
