In "The Importance of Being Earnest" Lady Bracknell states "To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness"

With the latest fire at Derwent Valley Mills (see Connections - http://www.worldheritagesite.org/tags/tag21.html ) UK has had significant fires within 5 of its World Heritage sites in the last 7 years - it does indeed begin to look like carelessness!

Or arson?

Certain of Derwent Valley Mills are supposed to be of historic 'fireproof' construction, are they not?

Cast iron beams etc? Like Ditherington, now in the care of English Heritage? (Not sure about brick arch, off the top of my head.)

http://www.derwentvalleymills.org/04_his/his_001a.htm

http://bygonederbyshire.co.uk/articles/Bath_Street_Mill:_Fate_of_historic_mill_is_to_ go_under_hammer

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?s=1d79d9143de84c828bdaf1cf8b962a2 d&p=121945#post121945

It is indeed very bad news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8103925.stm

which will, I am sure, be received with dismay by SPAB Mills Section members.

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Historic-gutted-blaze/article-1082585-detail/a rticle.html

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Large-section-ravaged-Bath-Street-collapses-ov ernight/article-1083628-detail/article.html

It's now also on the SAVE site:

http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/news/article.php?id=77