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Belper's Wartime Secret
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Distance: 3.5 miles |
Duration: 2.5 hours |
Price: £5.00 per person
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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. 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 have no idea just what an important part Belper played in the Allied victory. On this walk, we discover the answers to the following questions and more:
- How did work done in Belper turn this tank from a failure into one of the best tanks of the war?
- How did a Belper company help save thousands of tons of Allied shipping from the U-Boats, even though the town is over 50 miles from the sea?
- How did Belper's biggest wartime secret lead to the post-war success of the World's premier luxury car brand?
- How did "The Red Box" save Belper from being bombed by the Luftwaffe?
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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.
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Distance: |
3.5 miles. |
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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 (Not available certain Saturdays). |
End point: |
Shortlands Car Park, Chesterfield Road (opposite St Peter's Church), Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1FB. |
Dates available: |
Scheduled walks available on the following dates: 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 group bookings are also available on a date of your choosing via a Personal Walking Guide (subject to availability). |
When is this walk available?
Scheduled walks are available most Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus occasional other days. On most days, we are able to offer a choice of two different start times for our scheduled walks, 10:00am and 1:30pm. However, on certain Saturdays, we are only able to offer a morning walk starting at 10:00am.
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. The only limits on the available start times are that we do not recommend a start time later than 3:00pm except for the period from the beginning of May to the end of September, when we can accept start times up to 6:00pm. And again, there are certain Saturdays where we can only offer a morning walk.
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.
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Prices.
The following prices apply for this walk:
Ticket |
Price |
Deposit (Included in overall price) |
Adult or Child aged 16 and over
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£5.00 per person |
£2.00 per person |
Personal Walking Guide (Group of up to 4)
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£40.00 per group |
£10.00 per group |
Personal Walking Guide (Group of 5 to 10)
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£60.00 per group |
£15.00 per group |
Personal Walking Guide (Group of 11 or more)
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£90.00 per group |
£22.50 per group |
Reduced rates for under-16s, plus discounted family tickets also available, giving cheaper prices for groups including children aged 15 and under. Please e-mail us for details and to book.
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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.
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Is there anything special I need to bring?
As this is essentially a short urban walk, you won't need full walking gear. However, there are a few places where the going underfoot is a bit rough and possibly muddy, so stout waterproof shoes are advisable. There is also very little shelter on much of the walk, so be sure to bring either waterproofs or an umbrella if rain has been forecast. In warm weather, you may also want to bring a small bottle of water.
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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.
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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.
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Booking
You can book places on any of our 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 scheduled 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.
Personal Walking Guide Availability - Belper's Lost Industries
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Bank Holidays |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Most** |
Most* |
Most* |
* = Please contact us for details of availability ** = Mornings only on certain dates |
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Book a place on this walk
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Latest booking news
- Places are still available on the November 7th morning walk, and can be booked up to 10:00am on November 5th.
- Morning walks are unavailable on Thursday October 24th.
- Afternoon walks are unavailable on the following Saturdays: November 9th, December 14th.
- Due to all guides being fully employed on other walks on those dates, we are unable to accept any bookings for October 5th, 13th, 16th, 19th and 25th, or November 9th and 30th. Please see our online calendar for full details of guide availability.
- Bookings are open for all other dates listed, and close at 10:00am two days prior to the date of the walk.
- We are now accepting Personal Walking Guide bookings for this walk for Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays between January 3rd and December 20th 2024.
- We are also accepting advance enquiries for 2025.
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Important: Before booking, please make sure that the date you wish to book is not listed as already being fully booked in the "Latest booking news" section above.
Please select the number of places you would like to book 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.
If you encounter any problems with your booking, or have any questions about this walk, please e-mail us.
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