Cromford Builds returned for its third year, with a small selection of LEGO fan displays as well as activities for families to take part, from play bricks to a minifigure hunt around the models on display.
The Derwent Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to early factories which became the foundation of the industrial revolution, and it provided a picturesque backdrop for a weekend of LEGO fun hosted at Cromford Mills, “the birthplace of the modern factory system”.
Our pick of LEGO models from Cromford Builds 2025
For a small event, Cromford Builds 2025 certainly had a wide variety of themes on display, from LEGO trains to spaceships, Star Wars, Rock Raiders, Harry Potter, and more. Here are a few of the models that caught our eye…
James Gilding’s LEGO film posters
These famous movie posters recreated in LEGO by James were great, from Top Gun to Jaws, James Bond, and Duck Tales. The Jaws poster particularly caught our eye with the iconic shark built from LEGO bricks making an eye-catching centrepiece.
LEGO coral reef scene by Elm Zoo
We featured Elm Zoo last year with a superb LEGO zoo, and they returned to Cromford with a series of dioramas. The coral scene found a way in to our hearts at this show – the LEGO orca is huge, so you can see the scale of the model from that!
LEGO Lancaster bomber model by Jack Bird
Finally, Jack Bird’s LEGO Lancaster bomber model with working propellers dove in to our sights at Cromford. The wingspan was huge, and it was nice to see the custom-printed crew figures too.
Thanks again to Dan, Di and Paul for organising. We hear Cromford Builds will return next year, so keep your eyes on our 2026 LEGO fan events list here.
Photographs from the event by Jack Bird and Niki Philips – many thanks for their use, as our photographs did not come out well!