I have a little story to tell you. It’s a very short story about our town: Belper, Derbyshire.
There's so much to say about our town, but i'll keep it brief. You may not have been born here and you may not live here now, but I guarantee that we will make you feel like home when you’re here.
As you may know we have a long history and Belper is a great place to wander round appreciating all the things that help make the town what it is now. What better place to start than St. John's Chapel with nearly 1,000 years worth of history. You will get a warm welcome as it is both a Heritage Centre and houses the local town council.
From here you can easily walk down to The Market Place, maybe you'll catch one of our various markets we have. You can easily find the cobbled streets of The Clusters, and see examples of industrial era housing built in the town, you can see a few nailers cottages on the way. Pop into the Unitarian Chapel on the way - built in the 18th century - and then down to Belper North Mill to see an imposing site. It may not be in the best condition but we are ever hopeful that funds will be found one day to bring the mill back to it's former glory.
And if that is not enough take a stroll through our award winning high street. Make a stop at some of our lovely indies and have a bite to eat at our amazing cafes.
Check out the side streets and explore the Deli's, the chocolate shop, the shops selling work by local artists, these are our hometown favorites. I think it’s because it’s a little different.
And finish it off with a stop at the bistro or a tapas bar. Sip some wine and tuck into some fantastic food.
If you come and visit you will no doubt find yourself in conversation with local people very quickly. That is because we are a friendly bunch, quick to engage and full of community spirit. Have a look to see if any events are taking place, because it is more than likely that something is going on!
Yes, we’re a little bit different, and yes, we’re proud to be different. We’re Belper and we wouldn’t have it any other way.