Belper

Belper is a small, attractive market town eight miles north of Derby. Until Jedediah Strutt came to Belper in 1776, it was a small town well known for producing quality nails that were used throughout the world. If your surname is Naylor then it is most probable that your family originate from Belper. The town grew rapidly at the beginning of the 19th century due to the industrial development of cotton mills. However, the origins of the town go back much further than the Industrial Revolution. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Beau Repaire’, the beautiful retreat; in 1964 the remains of a Roman kiln were found here.

Now famous for its cotton mills, the town is situated alongside the River Derwent on the floor of the valley. In 1776 Jedediah Strutt, the wheelwright son of a South Normanton farmer, set up one of the earliest water-powered cotton mills here to harness the natural powers of the river. With the river providing power and fuel coming from the nearby South Derbyshire coalfield, the valley has a good claim to be one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution. Earlier, in 1771, Strutt had gone into profitable partnership with Richard Arkwright to establish the world’s first water-powered cotton mill at Cromford. In 1780 another mill was built at Milford. Over a period of almost 30 years, a collection of six mills were built. Great benefactors of the town for 150 years, the Strutt family provided housing, work, education and even food from the model farms they established in the surrounding countryside.

Today only the North and East Mills remain, and the historic North Mill on the River Derwent is one of the oldest surviving examples of industrialised water-powered cotton spinning mills in the world. The original North Mill was destroyed in a fire in 1803 and was rebuilt by Strutt’s son William, though the new mill was built of iron and bricks so that it was fire proof. The North Mill is open to the public and well worth a visit. The massive East Mill was built by the English Sewing Cotton Company in 1912. It closed as a mill in the late 20th century and now houses a number of small industrial units, but remains largely empty.

The Derwent Valley Visitor Centre tells the story of the cotton industry and the great influence the Strutt family had on the town. It also tells of Samuel Slater, Strutt’s apprentice, who emigrated to America in 1789, built a mill, and became the father of the American cotton industry. The centre is housed in the oldest surviving mill, the two-storey North Mill at Bridgefoot, near the magnificent crescent-shaped weir in the Derwent and the town’s main bridge.

Less than two minutes stroll away from North Mill are The River Gardens, offering a wonderful place for a picnic, somewhere to play or simply a sit-down. Rowing boats can be hired for a trip along the Derwent. The gardens are a favourite with the film industry, having been used in Ken Russell’s Women in Love, as well as television’s Sounding Brass and In the Shadow of the Noose. The riverside walk through the meadows is particularly rich in bird life.

The Chapel of St John the Baptist in The Butts was the chapel of the original village of Belper. It consists of nave and chancel only, and dates from 1250. The Parish Church of St Peter with its pinnacled west tower dates from 1824. It contains a monument to George Brettle, who built George Brettle’s Warehouse in Chapel Street, a distinctive and elegant building in the classical style.