Tracey’s guidebook to Belper

Tracey
Tracey’s guidebook to Belper

City/town information

Belper is an attractive riverside market town, with a rich industrial heritage, located at the centre the Derwent Valley Heritage Site. Belper's industrial past is closely associated with Jedediah Strutt, who built the world's first water powered cotton yarn mill here in 1776, harnessing the power of the River Derwent. The largest of the mills, 'North Mill', was destroyed by fire in 1803. William Strutt rebuilt the mill using an unique iron frame structure thus preventing its further destruction by fire. This iron frame design was the first of its kind in the world and is said to be the forerunner of modern day high rise construction. The oldest mills have now gone, except for the huge North Mill complex. A stone archway (circa 1795) joins the mill buildings across the main road. The stonework in the archway incorporates gun ports, added to defend against possible industrial unrest in the 18th-c. The North Mill complex houses an award-winning museum and visitor centre, which provides a fascinating insight into the early cotton industry in the Derwent Valley. Guided tours of the museum and the town can also be booked from here. The Strutt's provided housing for their mill workers, much of which still exists today. A walk along Long Row (just south of the mill site) illustrates some of the best examples. These include long terraces and back-to-back style cluster houses, with much of their original features still intact. The next three parallel streets, George Street, William Street and Joseph Street, were named after the sons of Jedediah Strutt. The impressive horseshoe-shaped weir (near the town bridge), was built to create head of water to power the cotton Mills. The century old river gardens, built beside the weir, are the Jewel In The Crown of the Derwent Valley. The gardens are a lovely place to walk, relax or feed the ducks. There is ample car parking and a play area for children. During the summer months the gardens are the place to enjoy concerts with brass bands, folk music and outdoor theatre. Rowing boats and pedalos for hire. There is a new cafe complex built hopefully opening July 2021. The Belper Memorial Gardens, Founded by George Herbert Strutt in 1922, also provide a pleasant open space in the centre of the town just off King Street. Originally called "Beauyepaire" (French for beautiful retreat), Belper originated as a royal park and hunting grounds during the Norman period. The remains of the hunting grounds (called Belper Parks), provide a pleasant nature reserve to the south of the town. The town developed as an industrial centre for nail making in the early 18th-c. This industry dried-up once the cotton mills took over in the late 1700s. A traditional nailers' shop can still be found on Joseph Street. The workshop would have had a hearth, bellows and anvil, where the nailer and his family would have forged nails from iron rods. St John's Chapel, a simple stone building located on one of the heights of Belper, was built around 1250 by William de Ferrers (the Earl of Derby). It has been a religious centre for over 700 years and is now a meeting chamber for the town council and a heritage centre. The chapel contains an exhibition of illustrated photographs of Belper, detailing it's long industrial past and many historic aspects of the town. Belper's 200 year old marketplace hosts a farmer's market on the 2nd Saturday of the month and food fairs are held twice a year, in July and December. Free parking is available nearby. Just down hill from the market square (in King Street), is an award-winning traditional Ritz Cinema, which provides a full programme of movies and art-house classics. The cinema has a relaxed atmosphere and you can even sit and enjoy the show on a comfortable sofa. Winner of the Great British High Street Awards 8th November 2014 and Winner of the Great British High Street Awards for England in January 2020. It has a pleasant town centre, which is well known for its independent traders. The High Street offers a mix of shops, offering a range of unique goods for sale, including bespoke jewellery, gifts and locally produced leather products. There are also fashion outlets, a florist, confectioner, deli and a traditional butchers and bakers. A good range of eateries and restaurants can be found around the town, along with some fine gastro pubs. Leaflets and information on all of the above is included in our information folder. Belper hosts a number of annual festivals including the Belper Arts Festival (May) with art, drama, dance music and film. The Derwent Valley Mills Walking Festival (May). The Belper food and Real Ale Festival and Christmas festival (July and December) and the Belper well dressing Festival (July). Places of Interest to Visit in Belper Belper Parks Located in the heart of the town is an area of around 26 hectares, containing mixed and diverse habitats with some mature oak and holly trees, surrounded by areas of natural grassland. Designated a local nature reserve in 2004, it provides a relaxing place to visit. Originally it was part of a deer park belonging to the royal Estates. An information board is located at the park entrance (near the main car park). Wyver Lane Nature Reserve The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve lies a just a short distance from the river and former Mill buildings. It is a wetland reserve and an ideal setting to observe many native British Birds. Local species include Canada geese, tufted duck and little Grebe. Migrating species include waders and curlew, the common Sandpiper and sedge warbler. Belper River Gardens The beautiful riverside gardens are set in a tranquil setting by the mill weir. Pedalos and Rowing boats can be hired in the summer for a three mile trip up river. During the summer months there are concerts in the bandstand, outdoor theatre and other events. Cafe complex opening July 2021. Open all year. Strutts north Mill The remains of a large water driven mill complex built by the Strutt family. The original mill was destroyed by fire in 1803 and was replaced by its current Iron framed multi-storey structure. The integral museum houses displays on the history of cotton manufacture, spinning and knitting machinery of the early 19th-c. The museum foyer has light refreshments and a small bookshop There is also contains a visitor centre with tourist information, providing details of walks, guided tours, local facilities and accommodation. St John's Chapel Heritage Centre The oldest building in Belper, built on the hillside overlooking the Deer Park. The chapel was originally dedicated to St Thomas, but change to become St John's Chapel during the Reformation. It was once the centre of religious and social life of the town. Inside the chapel there are display boards of old photographs with descriptions of the history of Belper. The chapel, is one of three built by William de Ferriers in 1250. Today is used as local council offices and as a heritage centre.
27 當地人推薦
Belper
27 當地人推薦
Belper is an attractive riverside market town, with a rich industrial heritage, located at the centre the Derwent Valley Heritage Site. Belper's industrial past is closely associated with Jedediah Strutt, who built the world's first water powered cotton yarn mill here in 1776, harnessing the power of the River Derwent. The largest of the mills, 'North Mill', was destroyed by fire in 1803. William Strutt rebuilt the mill using an unique iron frame structure thus preventing its further destruction by fire. This iron frame design was the first of its kind in the world and is said to be the forerunner of modern day high rise construction. The oldest mills have now gone, except for the huge North Mill complex. A stone archway (circa 1795) joins the mill buildings across the main road. The stonework in the archway incorporates gun ports, added to defend against possible industrial unrest in the 18th-c. The North Mill complex houses an award-winning museum and visitor centre, which provides a fascinating insight into the early cotton industry in the Derwent Valley. Guided tours of the museum and the town can also be booked from here. The Strutt's provided housing for their mill workers, much of which still exists today. A walk along Long Row (just south of the mill site) illustrates some of the best examples. These include long terraces and back-to-back style cluster houses, with much of their original features still intact. The next three parallel streets, George Street, William Street and Joseph Street, were named after the sons of Jedediah Strutt. The impressive horseshoe-shaped weir (near the town bridge), was built to create head of water to power the cotton Mills. The century old river gardens, built beside the weir, are the Jewel In The Crown of the Derwent Valley. The gardens are a lovely place to walk, relax or feed the ducks. There is ample car parking and a play area for children. During the summer months the gardens are the place to enjoy concerts with brass bands, folk music and outdoor theatre. Rowing boats and pedalos for hire. There is a new cafe complex built hopefully opening July 2021. The Belper Memorial Gardens, Founded by George Herbert Strutt in 1922, also provide a pleasant open space in the centre of the town just off King Street. Originally called "Beauyepaire" (French for beautiful retreat), Belper originated as a royal park and hunting grounds during the Norman period. The remains of the hunting grounds (called Belper Parks), provide a pleasant nature reserve to the south of the town. The town developed as an industrial centre for nail making in the early 18th-c. This industry dried-up once the cotton mills took over in the late 1700s. A traditional nailers' shop can still be found on Joseph Street. The workshop would have had a hearth, bellows and anvil, where the nailer and his family would have forged nails from iron rods. St John's Chapel, a simple stone building located on one of the heights of Belper, was built around 1250 by William de Ferrers (the Earl of Derby). It has been a religious centre for over 700 years and is now a meeting chamber for the town council and a heritage centre. The chapel contains an exhibition of illustrated photographs of Belper, detailing it's long industrial past and many historic aspects of the town. Belper's 200 year old marketplace hosts a farmer's market on the 2nd Saturday of the month and food fairs are held twice a year, in July and December. Free parking is available nearby. Just down hill from the market square (in King Street), is an award-winning traditional Ritz Cinema, which provides a full programme of movies and art-house classics. The cinema has a relaxed atmosphere and you can even sit and enjoy the show on a comfortable sofa. Winner of the Great British High Street Awards 8th November 2014 and Winner of the Great British High Street Awards for England in January 2020. It has a pleasant town centre, which is well known for its independent traders. The High Street offers a mix of shops, offering a range of unique goods for sale, including bespoke jewellery, gifts and locally produced leather products. There are also fashion outlets, a florist, confectioner, deli and a traditional butchers and bakers. A good range of eateries and restaurants can be found around the town, along with some fine gastro pubs. Leaflets and information on all of the above is included in our information folder. Belper hosts a number of annual festivals including the Belper Arts Festival (May) with art, drama, dance music and film. The Derwent Valley Mills Walking Festival (May). The Belper food and Real Ale Festival and Christmas festival (July and December) and the Belper well dressing Festival (July). Places of Interest to Visit in Belper Belper Parks Located in the heart of the town is an area of around 26 hectares, containing mixed and diverse habitats with some mature oak and holly trees, surrounded by areas of natural grassland. Designated a local nature reserve in 2004, it provides a relaxing place to visit. Originally it was part of a deer park belonging to the royal Estates. An information board is located at the park entrance (near the main car park). Wyver Lane Nature Reserve The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve lies a just a short distance from the river and former Mill buildings. It is a wetland reserve and an ideal setting to observe many native British Birds. Local species include Canada geese, tufted duck and little Grebe. Migrating species include waders and curlew, the common Sandpiper and sedge warbler. Belper River Gardens The beautiful riverside gardens are set in a tranquil setting by the mill weir. Pedalos and Rowing boats can be hired in the summer for a three mile trip up river. During the summer months there are concerts in the bandstand, outdoor theatre and other events. Cafe complex opening July 2021. Open all year. Strutts north Mill The remains of a large water driven mill complex built by the Strutt family. The original mill was destroyed by fire in 1803 and was replaced by its current Iron framed multi-storey structure. The integral museum houses displays on the history of cotton manufacture, spinning and knitting machinery of the early 19th-c. The museum foyer has light refreshments and a small bookshop There is also contains a visitor centre with tourist information, providing details of walks, guided tours, local facilities and accommodation. St John's Chapel Heritage Centre The oldest building in Belper, built on the hillside overlooking the Deer Park. The chapel was originally dedicated to St Thomas, but change to become St John's Chapel during the Reformation. It was once the centre of religious and social life of the town. Inside the chapel there are display boards of old photographs with descriptions of the history of Belper. The chapel, is one of three built by William de Ferriers in 1250. Today is used as local council offices and as a heritage centre.

Sightseeing

Belper River Gardens The beautiful riverside gardens are set in a tranquil setting by the mill weir. Pedalos and Rowing boats can be hired in the summer for a three mile trip up river. During the summer months there are concerts in the bandstand, outdoor theatre and other events. Cafe complex opening July 2021. Open all year.
12 當地人推薦
Belper River Gardens
Mill View
12 當地人推薦
Belper River Gardens The beautiful riverside gardens are set in a tranquil setting by the mill weir. Pedalos and Rowing boats can be hired in the summer for a three mile trip up river. During the summer months there are concerts in the bandstand, outdoor theatre and other events. Cafe complex opening July 2021. Open all year.
Strutts north Mill The remains of a large water driven mill complex built by the Strutt family. The original mill was destroyed by fire in 1803 and was replaced by its current Iron framed multi-storey structure. The integral museum houses displays on the history of cotton manufacture, spinning and knitting machinery of the early 19th-c. The museum foyer has light refreshments and a small bookshop There is also contains a visitor centre with tourist information, providing details of walks, guided tours, local facilities and accommodation.
7 當地人推薦
Strutt's North Mill
Bridge Foot
7 當地人推薦
Strutts north Mill The remains of a large water driven mill complex built by the Strutt family. The original mill was destroyed by fire in 1803 and was replaced by its current Iron framed multi-storey structure. The integral museum houses displays on the history of cotton manufacture, spinning and knitting machinery of the early 19th-c. The museum foyer has light refreshments and a small bookshop There is also contains a visitor centre with tourist information, providing details of walks, guided tours, local facilities and accommodation.
Wyver Lane Nature Reserve The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve lies a just a short distance from the river and former Mill buildings. It is a wetland reserve and an ideal setting to observe many native British Birds. Local species include Canada geese, tufted duck and little Grebe. Migrating species include waders and curlew, the common Sandpiper and sedge warbler.
Wyver Lane Nature Reserve (DWT)
Wyver Lane
Wyver Lane Nature Reserve The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve lies a just a short distance from the river and former Mill buildings. It is a wetland reserve and an ideal setting to observe many native British Birds. Local species include Canada geese, tufted duck and little Grebe. Migrating species include waders and curlew, the common Sandpiper and sedge warbler.
Belper Parks Located in the heart of the town is an area of around 26 hectares, containing mixed and diverse habitats with some mature oak and holly trees, surrounded by areas of natural grassland. Designated a local nature reserve in 2004, it provides a relaxing place to visit. Originally it was part of a deer park belonging to the royal Estates. An information board is located at the park entrance (near the main car park).
Belper Park Local Nature Reserve
24 Mill Ln
Belper Parks Located in the heart of the town is an area of around 26 hectares, containing mixed and diverse habitats with some mature oak and holly trees, surrounded by areas of natural grassland. Designated a local nature reserve in 2004, it provides a relaxing place to visit. Originally it was part of a deer park belonging to the royal Estates. An information board is located at the park entrance (near the main car park).
St John's Chapel Heritage Centre The oldest building in Belper, built on the hillside overlooking the Deer Park. The chapel was originally dedicated to St Thomas, but change to become St John's Chapel during the Reformation. It was once the centre of religious and social life of the town. Inside the chapel there are display boards of old photographs with descriptions of the history of Belper. The chapel, is one of three built by William de Ferriers in 1250. Today is used as local council offices and as a heritage centre.
St. John’s Chapel Heritage Centre
The Butts
St John's Chapel Heritage Centre The oldest building in Belper, built on the hillside overlooking the Deer Park. The chapel was originally dedicated to St Thomas, but change to become St John's Chapel during the Reformation. It was once the centre of religious and social life of the town. Inside the chapel there are display boards of old photographs with descriptions of the history of Belper. The chapel, is one of three built by William de Ferriers in 1250. Today is used as local council offices and as a heritage centre.