Derwent Valley World Heritage Site

Situated on the river Derwent, Belper in Derbyshire is one of the key sites of the Derwent Valley World Heritage Corridor. Today, Belper is a bustling town on the busy A6 with many buildings that bear testament to its industrial heritage. Sport is important in Belper, with successful football, hockey and cricket teams

Belper Nail Making Industry

Originally named ‘Beaurepaire’ (meaning beautiful retreat), Belper’s first major industry was nail making. This possibly arose because of the need for nails to shoe horses in the nearby Royal Forest. Nail making dates back to at least the 13th century, probably earlier. Nail making was essentially a cottage industry with the nail makers working in small workshops next to their homes (One fine example of a nail makers workshop is still standing in Joseph Street).

 



It was a hard life as you might imagine. They collected iron rods from a 'Nail Master' and turned these into nails over the course of the week. To ensure maximum production, if the nail makers wasted more that a few pounds (kilos in this day and age!) their pay was severely docked. Nail making ceased in the early part of the twentieth century although the tradition is still remembered in the nickname of Belper Town FC - The Nailers.

The move to Textiles and the Factory System

Nail making was eclipsed during the nineteenth century by the textile industry. A local family, the Strutts, were the key players in Belper, organising the construction of a dozen or so major textile factories and related buildings. The first was built by Jedediah Strutt. He trained as a wheelwright and partnered Sir Richard Arkwright and Samuel Need.  Need was the financial backer in the construction of Cromford mill.

When Strutt's Belper North mill was gutted by fire in 1803, his son William rebuilt it as a fireproof building. The new mill is acknowledged as being one of the first of its kind. The North mill houses the visitors centre for the Belper Mill complex. You can see the original construction plus many items of contemporary machinery, carefully restored. Another interesting feature that has survived is the bridge over the road by the mill. On this you can see 'loup holes' added to defend the mill complex against any possible attack by the Luddites. The presence of these mills has resulted in the designation of the Derwent Valley from Derby to Matlock as a World Heritage Site.

By all counts, the Strutt family could be regarded as enlightened employers, providing many local facilities including housing for their employees. Long Row is a row of workers cottages that is a sought after area of Belper today.

Local History Books about Belper

Belper Through Time

Belper from Old Photographs

Lost Histories of Belper, Derbyshire

Belper: Looking into the Past

Belper and Milford

Memory Lane Belper, Ambergate and Districts (Rod Jewell collection)

The Railway and East Mill at Belper

Image: Belper East MillThe railway came to Belper in the early 1800s, it is set into a cutting so that it did not spoil the view of the Strutt family. Several cottages in Long Row were demolished to make way for the railway (check out the house numbers either side of the railway bridge).

The East Mill is now used by a number of local businesses and was built much more recently, in 1912. In 1990, the tall chimney that dominated the skyline was reduced in size because it was found to be unsafe.

Recent Industrial Heritage

More recent major industries include the manufacture of gas fires, chocolates (although Thornton’s are now manufacturing elsewhere), hosiery, and an inland oil refinery to name but a few. Silkolene, the refinery is now closed and long-gone - the site has been redeveloped for housing. In the early 1990s, we were getting ready to head off on holiday. It was about 5 a.m. and there was a loud bang. We looked over from our cottage on Chevin Road and there was a tall column of smoke rising from the site. One of the tanks had exploded and it took a while to get it under control.  Silkolene was owned by the Dalton family whose best known member is probably Timothy - the actor who played 007 - James Bond. Another 20th century key employer is Deb chemicals - still going strong and still making Swarfega. I love the orange version, it works superbly well.

Visiting Belper

There are a few places you can park to visit Belper. At Strutt's mill, there is the car park for visitors and also the car park for the River Gardens. The gardens are small but provide a pleasant setting where you can relax and enjoy yourselves. I think they date to late Victorian times. It doesn't take long to do the circuit past shrubberies and colourful flower beds.

From the River Gardens, it is a bit of a walk back into Belper. You have the choice of following the main A6 or nipping into the centre via quieter back lanes. I suggest taking Long Row uphill just near the lights at the Triangle.

The Milk Race

The Milk Race is now called the Tour of Britain. It always had at least one Peak District/Derbyshire stage. It has passed through Belper on two occasions whilst I lived there. The Tour was resurrected after a 5 year absence and looks set for future success, sensibly the organiser's ran it along similar lines to the Tour de France with many sponsors rather than relying on just one. Belper featured on BBC's Grandstand programme as the riders descended Bridge hill and rounded the hairpin at Bridge Foot.

Image: Milk Race at Bank Foot, Belper, Derbyshire.

Image: Milk Race passing through Belper.

Image: professional cyclists passing through Belper on the Milk Race in 2004.

Image: bike race passing through Belper

 

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