The unusually wet winter of 2023/24 has left the ground in many parts of the Peak District very wet and muddy. As a result of this, we have been forced to temporarily revise or postpone a number of our walks. Fortunately, this walk is unaffected by these changes, and so is still available as advertised.

Belper's Wartime Secret

Distance: 3.5 miles

Price: £5.00 per person

(Group & family rates available)

A Cromwell Tank

Although it would appear to have been a quiet backwater well away from any enemy action, the town of Belper actually played a very significant part in the Second World War. Companies based in the town made important contributions to aviation, tank design and even the Battle of the Atlantic - despite being over 60 miles from the sea. Unfortunately, Belper's key role in the war was never known to many in the town, and those who did know didn't talk about it. As a result, even those who were living there at the time often have no idea just what an important part Belper played in the Allied victory.

This is one of our most popular walks, and has been featured on both ITV News and BBC Radio Derby, who did a series of live broadcasts from the walk for their breakfast show in April 2019.

Duration (approx):	2.5 hours.

Start point:	Shortlands Car Park, Chesterfield Road (opposite St Peter's Church), Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1FB.

Start time:	10:00am . 1.30pm (Tuesdays and Sundays only).

End point:	Shortlands Car Park, Chesterfield Road (opposite St Peter's Church), Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1FB.

Dates available:	Available year-round as an open walk on a date of your choosing on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays. Scheduled walks available on the following dates: March 5th, 7th, 9th, 14th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 24th,26th, 28th, 30th April 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 30th. May 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 30th. June 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 20th, 25th, 27th, 29th. July 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 30th. August 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 27th, 29th. September 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 19th, 24th, 26th, 28th. October 1st, 3rd, 8th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th, 31st. November 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 26th, 28th. December 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 19th. (Online pre-booking is essential for these walks.) Private bookings are also available on a date of your choosing via a Personal Walking Guide (subject to availability and Coronavirus restrictions).

When is this walk available?

This walk is available all year round on a date of your choosing, with a choice of two different start times on Tuesdays and Sundays. Scheduled walks take place most Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus occasional other days. If you wish to have the exclusive services of one of our guides, it is also available year-round as a private booking on a date of your choice via a Personal Walking Guide. For Personal Walking Guide bookings, we are usually able to offer a range of different start times from 9:00am to early evening on most days.

All bookings are subject to the availability of a suitable guide - Please see our online calendar or e-mail us for availability of your chosen date.

Is this walk Covid-secure?

At Derbyshire Heritage Walks we follow all current government and industry guidelines, and all of our guides have been fully vaccinated. Therefore you can be confident that this walk is as Covid-secure as we can possibly make it. Details of how we do this can be found here.

Will we have the exclusive services of the guide?

All of our open and scheduled walks are open to all. If you book onto either of these types of walk, then there is a chance that there may well be other people on the walk with you. If you wish to have the exclusive services of the guide, you MUST book a Personal Walking Guide.

Prices.

The following prices apply for this walk:

Ticket	Price	Deposit (Included in overall price)
Adult or Child aged 16 and over	£5.00 per person	£2.00 per person
Personal Walking Guide (Group of up to 4)	£40.00 per group	£10.00 per group
Personal Walking Guide (Group of 5 to 10)	£60.00 per group	£15.00 per group
Personal Walking Guide (Group of 11 or more)	£90.00 per group	£22.50 per group

Discounted family tickets also available, giving cheaper prices for groups including children aged 15 and under. Please e-mail us for details.

Travel to and from the walk.

This walk is easily accessible by both car and public transport. If you do need to use public transport, the latest information on buses and trains to and from this walk can be found on our travel information page.

If arriving by car, there is limited "pay-and-display" parking available in the Shortlands car park at the start of the walk (33 spaces, 6 disabled). A much larger "pay-and-display" car park is available off Field Lane, next to Belper Railway Station, while a free car park is located at The Coppice just off the Market Place. If using a sat-nav, the postcode for Shortlands car park is DE56 1FB, for Field Lane car park it is DE56 1DE, and for The Coppice it is DE56 1FZ.

Are there any disabled access issues?

Not really, as most of the walk is along public roads and paved footpaths. There are some reasonably steep hills and rough road surfaces, including a short section of stone cobbles, although the worst of these can be avoided via a slight diversion. As a result, it is all fully accessible to the great majority of wheelchair or mobility scooter users and others with more limited mobility.

If you, or a person you are booking for, are a person of reduced mobility, please either contact us before booking or let us know when you book, so that we can make any necessary adjustments and send you any additional information you may need regarding access arrangements.

Is this walk suitable for dogs?

As an urban walk, there is a lot going on in the area which your dog may find distracting. However, there is nothing to stop you bringing your dog if you think it can be well enough behaved. If you would like to bring your dog with you, we do ask that you inform us at the time of booking. We also ask that, due to the traffic and large number of people likely to be encountered, and the possibility of meeting other dogs, you keep your dog under close control on a short non-extendible lead at all times and do not allow it to run free under any circumstances.

Booking

You can book places on any of our open or scheduled walks via the PayPal button below. Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.

If you wish to make a Personal Walking Guide booking for this walk, please see our Personal Walking Guide booking page here.

Bookings for walks can be made at any time up to 48 hours before the intended date of your walk, or up to 72 hours beforehand for Personal Walking Guides. We regret that we cannot accept bookings made less than 48 hours prior to the planned start time of the walk (72 hours for Personal Walking Guide bookings).

Please ensure before booking that the date you require is not listed below and on our online calendar as unavailable or fully booked, and that you have read and agree to our terms and conditions.

Latest Booking News

Bookings are open for all scheduled dates listed, and close at 10:00am two days prior to the date of the walk.
We are now accepting open walk and Personal Walking Guide bookings for this walk on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays from March 1st to December 20th 2024.

Book An Open Or Scheduled Walk

Please select the number of places you would like to book, the start time you would like, and enter the date required.

Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.

By placing a booking with us, you are accepting and agreeing to our terms and conditions.

Book A Personal Walking Guide

To book a Personal Walking Guide for this walk, please go to our Personal Walking Guide page.

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