Visiting

Plans confirmed for popular Crooked Spire annual events

It has been confirmed that plans are underway for this year’s Well Dressing display and the popular Christmas Tree Festival, both of which take place at Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire Church.

Reverend Patrick Coleman said: “I can share the wonderful news that we are definitely planning to hold both the Well Dressing and the Christmas Tree Festival this year. There will need to be careful access control for viewing of the Well Dressing, and we are planning a free online booking system for the Christmas Tree Festival, so that in both cases we can make sure that hygiene and distancing measures are kept in place.”

He added: “At present, singing is still completely forbidden, so no announcements on Carol Services just yet. These events will certainly feel a little different but we owe it to all the people who value the Crooked Spire, and its presence and contribution to the town’s life, to try and make a go of these things even under present conditions.”

The Well Dressing is planned from August 29th to September 6th, with details of this year’s theme yet to be announced.

Well dressing is an ancient custom unique to Derbyshire. Chesterfield began well dressing in 1864 when the Town Pump in Market Place was decorated after a very dry summer. The custom died out, but was revived in 1991 when a well was dressed as part of an exhibition about Derbyshire traditions.

A well dressing takes up to 7 days of work, by a whole team of people, to finish. It will only last about a week before the clay dries and cracks and the flowers fade, then it’s taken down and the boards stored away – until next year.

The Festival of Christmas Trees is due to take place between for 14th and 29th November, with further details to be confirmed closer to the time.

The Cooked Spire is the largest church in Derbyshire and each year it is filled to overflowing with more than 100 Christmas trees decorated by local people, groups and shops, from WIs to scout and guide groups, from schools to high street stores, from accountants to Chesterfield Museum and many more besides.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Planning permission sought for canal restoration

The Chesterfield Canal Trust has submitted a planning application for the restoration of the remainder of the canal within Chesterfield. This covers the 1.6 miles from Staveley to the edge of Renishaw.

The application can be viewed on Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning website here.

The route is mostly through open countryside. Part of it sits on the Staveley Puddlebank which is an embankment running for nearly half a mile across the Doe Lea river valley. The canal will cross the river on a 37m long aqueduct.

When it is finished, the canal towpath will provide a delightful walking and cycling route which will link up with the Trans-Pennine Trail, the Arkwright Trail and the Norbriggs Cutting Trail.

The volunteers from the Trust will build another lock at Staveley to complement Staveley Town Lock which they built a few years ago. Altogether the Trust has spent well over £200,000 on its work on this site. Derbyshire County Council’s Reclamation Department has also sunk considerable funds into the project which, along with the Loop Road, has transformed the area.

The canal is integral to the local landscape and the Trust is discussing how the restoration is central to the vision for Staveley currently being developed as part of the Towns Fund. Staveley is one of 101 towns allocated up to £25m each to support capital regeneration projects, and the Trust believes that this application should be one of the chosen projects.

Staveley Puddlebank, May 1970

The Trust was planning to start restoration work at Renishaw on a further kilometre of canal, working with volunteers, however the Covid-19 situation has paused all work. The hope is that this work can start in the autumn. When both sections are complete, they will extend the canal within Derbyshire by 2.5 miles.

In 1989, twenty miles of the Chesterfield Canal lay derelict between Worksop and Chesterfield. Since then 12 miles and 34 locks have been restored. 3 new locks and 11 bridges have been built plus 2 marinas. Just over eight miles remain to be completed and this planning application covers 20% of that distance. This is the next step in the Trust’s campaign to complete the restoration of the canal by 2027, which will be the 250th Anniversary of its opening.

Rod Auton, Chesterfield Canal Trust Publicity Officer said: “When this planning application has been approved and the work has been done, it will give 1.6 miles more canal to Chesterfield and open up a new walking and cycling route that will include the 37m long Doe Lea aqueduct. With the Avant Homes development at Waterside, the proposed new garden village on the old Staveley Works site and the eventual development at Staveley Town Basin, the next few years will see a total transformation of the canal”.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager added: “It’s excellent news that the restoration of Chesterfield Canal is moving forward at pace. The canal has played a role in Chesterfield’s economy for centuries. Where once it was a vital transport route it is now forming an important part of Chesterfield’s tourism offering. It offers exciting prospects for the town to further grow its overnight visitor economy.”

Chesterfield Canal Trust supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Please note these images were taken prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Volunteer Work Party in Staveley Town Lock

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield FC Community Trust launch summer activities

Chesterfield FC Community Trust’s plans for summer delivery in 2020 have been outlined, with a return of the popular Spireites Sports Club and Girls Camp at St Mary’s Catholic High School.

Sessions will be socially distanced and follow all government guidelines. The Trust’s Saturday Morning Club has returned and enabled staff to deliver to smaller groups and trial temperature checks, hand sanitiser provision, the cleaning of equipment and enforce a one-way system around the venue.

The Trust’s head of sport and activities, Keith Jackson, said: “The safety of our participants is the number one priority, along with adhering to all government advice. Thereafter, we’ve been planning socially distanced delivery that will enable competitions and fun activities – the things that are the main ingredients of the Sports Club and always will be.”

The Trust has linked up with Dancedaze as part of their Spireites Schools Partnership and the leading street dance choreographers will be delivering ‘TikTok Tuesdays’ as part of the week-long clubs.

“We continue to look for new ways of creating engaging and exciting ways of making happy memories – TikTok is a hugely popular app and I’m sure learning the moves to the dances will be entertaining for everyone,” said Keith.

Additional safety measures put in place include extra staff for temperature checks, new equipment including footballs and cones, hand sanitiser breaks, equipment cleaning breaks and having smaller groups when delivering, all aimed at making the sessions as safe as possible.

The Sports Hall will be measured out for participants to have their own 2m space to keep their bags and personal equipment safe and all delivery will take place on the field.

New risk assessments have been produced along with the aforementioned changes, ensuring all safety guidelines are met.

Keith added: “Our coaches love to be on the grass as much as possible ordinarily, so whilst this decision is taken with safety in mind, it’s our preferred choice to deliver outdoors.”

Find out more about the Chesterfield FC Community Trust summer events below:

Chesterfield FC Community Trust use the power of Chesterfield FC and sport to inspire the community of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

This picture was taken prior to the coronvirus outbreak

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield’s play areas and outdoor gyms to reopen

Chesterfield Borough Council has announced the re-opening of the borough’s play areas and outdoor gyms.

Following the Government’s direction that play areas and outdoor gyms could re-open, the council has been working hard to safely re-open these facilities. A number of measures have been introduced to ensure that everyone can have a safe and enjoyable time when visiting, whilst still maintaining social distancing.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We have some great outdoor spaces in the borough, including our play areas and outdoor gyms, and with the school holidays coming up soon I would encourage residents to enjoy these facilities again now lockdown measures are beginning to ease.”

“Steps have been taken at some play areas to support social distancing and I would ask everyone to follow the safety guidelines displayed on signs at each of our outdoor spaces. Please do look after yourselves and your families.”

Adults accompanying children to the play areas should be limited to one per household to allow more children to use the equipment, and we would encourage families to come back later if play areas are busy.

To help control the spread of Coronavirus, the council is also requesting that all visitors wash their hands or use anti-bacterial gel before and after using the play or outdoor gym equipment.

More information on the measures in place can be found at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/your-council/coronavirus-information-hub/leisure-services-updates

Click here to find out ore about Summer in Chesterfield

Please note: the images in this article are from our image bank and were not taken recently

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Local tourism will support Chesterfield’s lockdown recovery

The government’s green light for the hospitality industry to re-open from 4th July was, I felt, the most significant indication to date that the country is slowly beginning its journey back to normality and recovery.

Despite the events of these past few months there is reason for the town to be hopeful about its prospects for a speedy recovery, not least the fact that we have the beautiful Peak District on our doorstep.

With foreign travel still restricted, many Brits are now looking to the UK for their next holiday and this was borne out by the recent rush in respect of bookings. Apparently, within 24 hours of the Prime Minister giving people the green light to go on holiday, holiday homes, hotels, B&Bs and campsites in England saw record demand.

The Peak District is one of the UK’s most visited national parks and with more people anticipated to head to the Peak District this summer, this is a great opportunity for Chesterfield to benefit from the additional influx of visitors.

Mam Tor in the Peak District – Visit Peak District & Derbyshire

Tourism already contributes more than £175 million a year to the Chesterfield economy.

However, the Town can benefit further if we convert day visitors into overnight stays.

We have a plethora of accommodation right here in Chesterfield, from award-winning 4-star hotels and boutique B&Bs to budget hotel chains and camping and caravan sites. The Town also has excellent transport links to both the Peak District and major cities like Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby. We can offer holidaymakers the best of all worlds- a town, city and countryside break!

Stephenson Tea And Coffee House with luxury Bed and Breakfast is located in Chesterfield town centre

But, whether a day tripper or an overnight stayer, our friendly welcome is more important than ever in this age of social distancing. This what has always marked us out from other towns and cities and will stand us in good stead in our post COVID-19 recovery.

Everyone can play a role in boosting tourism in the area, by talking up the town on your social media accounts and encourage people to visit and stay. More importantly, continue to extend a warm welcome to everyone who visits the town and be a part of Chesterfield’s lockdown recovery.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Leisure, Visiting

Peak District & Derbyshire launches ‘Time to…’ campaign to welcome back visitors

A host of local attractions, pubs, restaurants and accommodation providers have joined forces to welcome visitors back to the Peak District and Derbyshire in a new marketing campaign video.

Released to mark the reopening of the tourism and hospitality sector on 4 July, the ‘Time to…’ video (below) shines a spotlight on the warm welcome that awaits guests to the Peak District and Derbyshire, whilst showcasing the extra safety measures that businesses have put in place in order to reopen responsibly.

In behind-the-scenes shots businesses are shown setting tables, cleaning premises and implementing social distancing guidelines, before coming together in a show of solidarity to announce ‘We’re Good To Go’ – highlighting how the sector is adhering to the national industry standards introduced by VisitEngland.

The video signals the start of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire’s ‘Time to…’ digital marketing campaign which aims to inspire visitors to book a break in the area – helping to kick-start the area’s £2.3 billion tourism industry, which supports over 30,000 local jobs.

Visitors are encouraged to plan their trip on the ‘Time to…’ webpage at www.visitpeakdistrict.com/inspiration/time-to, and to look out for the official ‘We’re Good To Go’ mark which means that businesses are adhering to the appropriate Government and public health guidance.

The ‘Time to…’ campaign will be supported across Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s digital channels and on social media. Local businesses will be encouraged to create their own images using the campaign taglines which include ‘Time to Plan’, ‘Time to Discover’ and ‘Time to Recharge’.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, says: “We’re delighted to mark the reopening of the tourism and hospitality sector with the launch of our ‘Time to…’ campaign. The industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic but our passionate, caring and resilient tourism businesses have worked exceptionally hard to put all the right measures in place to ensure we can warmly welcome visitors back.”

“This is just the beginning of our phased, gradual reopening and now our priority is to ensure that people are able to visit and enjoy our glorious destination in a responsible way; respecting our local communities and the landscape around us.”

“Whilst restrictions have been eased, not all businesses are open and there are many different measures in place, so we’re continuing to ask visitors to be patient, to plan ahead and to book in advance so you ‘Know Before You Go’. We hope visitors and residents alike will be inspired to enjoy our wonderful tourism offer and in turn, help businesses to successfully get back on their feet.”

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Cabinet Member for Town Centres and Visitor Economy, said: “We know that many of you will have spent the past few months shopping online, but now is your chance to come back and visit Chesterfield town centre, indulge in some retail therapy, socialise and support Chesterfield businesses.”

“The town centre has so much to offer. From national retailers to small independent stores and of course our outdoor market and Market Hall, there really is something for everyone.”

“We’ve put a number of measures in place around the town centre to help keep you safe when visiting and we politely request that you follow the advice on signage, follow floor markings and respect any queuing systems.”

Cllr Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, says: “The tourism and hospitality industry is vital to the Derbyshire economy and plays a key role in making Derbyshire a popular attraction for visitors from far and wide.”

“We look forward to seeing people return, but it’s important we all follow the new measures put in place. The safety of staff, visitors and Derbyshire residents remains our number one priority. By acting responsibly and remaining vigilant we can help businesses get back on their feet and ensure visitors to our county get the true Derbyshire experience.”

As part of the tourism industry’s ‘Know Before You Go’ initiative, visitors are also urged to plan ahead, check for restrictions and to book in advance at: www.visitpeakdistrict.com/information/know-before-you-go.

In addition, Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire has launched a ‘Respect, Protect, Enjoy’ visitor charter which highlights the positive steps that people can take in order to enjoy the area responsibly: www.visitpeakdistrict.com/explore/respect-protect-enjoy.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Enjoy a picnic in Chesterfield with local food and drink

With so many wonderful spots to enjoy a picnic in Chesterfield, you’ll need to make the most of every day to fit them all in this summer.

That means you’ll also need to come up with lots of different food and drink ideas.

Do you have a sweet tooth or are you a lover of savoury snacks? Do you like to spend time baking for your picnic or would you rather pick up a ready-made hamper? Whatever your taste or lifestyle, there are plenty of delicious local food and drink options for you to try.

Remember to take all of your waste with you after your picnic to reduce litter and support the environment. Make sure to keep your family safe by following these NHS sun safety tips.

For more great places to eat and drink in Chesterfield, visit our Eating Out section to find great restaurants, gastro pubs, bars, cafes and more. You can also check out the past winners of the Chesterfield Food & Drink Awards here.

If you love being outdoors, here is a list of bike rides and cycle routes around Chesterfield that you can try out.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your favourite picnic blanket and enjoy some of these Chesterfield food and drink products!

– Local picnic basket items
– Ready-made picnic baskets
– Recipe ideas

Local picnic basket items

Cup & Saucer Teas – Pennine Picnic Cold Brew

Pennine Picnic Cold Brew is a special cold tea drink, made from pieces of apple, rosehip, pineapple, coconut, hibiscus petals and natural flavours. It is bottled, ready to drink and comes in two sizes. The bottles are also recycleable and you can get a 10p refund when you return the bottle so it can re re-used or recycled.

  • £1.60 – 330ml bottle
  • £3.50 – 750ml bottle

Gail Hannan, Owner of Cup & Saucer Teas, says it’s perfect for a picnic because… it tastes like a Pina Colada (without the alcohol) or for adults it can be used as a tasty mixer with Gin, it’s really refreshing, fruity and it’s a favourite of both children and adults.

The Pennine Picnic Cold Brew can be purchased from Cup & Saucer, 132 High Street, Clay Cross, S45 9EE. You can find more Cup & Saucer products, including teas, gift hampers and other local products here – www.cupandsauceronline.co.uk/shop.

Little Morton Farm – Award-winning pork pies

Little Morton Farm is passionate about our animals and producing great tasting produce. A Little Morton Farm gold award-winning pork pie is a perfect savoury addition to your picnic basket. It is made on the farm with home bred and reared, organic fed, pedigree, Berkshire pork.

  • £2 – Medium pie
  • £3.50 – Large pie

Tom & Daniella say it’s perfect for a picnic because… Every picnic needs a pork pie!

These are available to buy from the farm shop at Little Morton Farm in North Wingfield. To order, please call 01246 859 904 by Wednesday for collection on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information and to see more products from Little Morton Farm, visit www.littlemortonfarm.co.uk/livestock-produce.

Crooked Pickle Co – Bread & Butter Pickles

These Bread & Butter Pickles are a tasty twist of a classic favourite, and there is even a hot version for those who are feeling more adventurous!

  • £4.95 per jar

Felix, Owner of The Crooked Pickle Co, says it’s perfect for a picnic because… Our Bread & Butter Pickles are crunchy, sweet-sour and delicately spiced and which makes them amazing on picnic sandwiches, with cold cuts and pork pies.

You can purchase these from the Crooked Pickle Co online store here – crookedpickle.co/collections or from No.10 The Tea Room and Society Coffee Shop & Bar, both located in Chesterfield town centre.

Casa Hotel’s infamous scotch eggs

These delicious Scotch eggs are a brilliant addition to any hamper, a firm favourite with the Casa diners and team! They are available every day from Casa Hotel and they will continue to sell these post reopening as part of their takeaway offerings.

  • £2 per scotch egg

Alex from Casa Hotel says it’s perfect for a picnic because… it’s made from locally reared pork and eggs sourced from Casa Hotel’s Walton Lodge Farm.

Franklin & Sons – Soft Drinks & RTS cans

Produced by Chesterfield’s Global Brands, Franklin & Sons has teamed up with the UK’s top Gin brands to create a range of ready-to-drink G&T cans that tick a lot of boxes. Just cool, click, pour and enjoy. These are available locally at Tesco, Co-op & Morrisons, online at www.goodtimein.co.uk or can be ordered for delivery on the City Grab app through Casa at Home.

  • The RRP is around £2 in the supermarkets or you can buy a case of 12 for £17.49 on the City Grab App or www.goodtimein.co.uk

Fancy something non-alcoholic for your picnic? Franklin & Sons also has a delicious range of Sodas. Sister’s Sodas provide that fresh sophisticated flavour, the perfect grown-up soft drink, sure to cool you down on a hot summer’s day! Available at Tesco, online at www.goodtimein.co.uk or can be ordered for delivery on the City Grab app through Casa at Home.

  • The RRP is £1.20 a can in the supermarkets or you can buy a case of 12 for £9 on the City Grab App or www.goodtimein.co.uk

Charlotte from Global Brands says these products are perfect for a picnic because… They are perfect pick-me-up picnic tipples and they look seriously swanky too!

Northern Tea Merchants – Hot and Cold Teas

Northern Tea’s Gourmet Classic Tea is their finest quality small leaf ‘breakfast tea’, Gourmet Classic is easy to drink, with a delicious aroma, a bright and coppery liquor and excellent flavour due to its excellent quality constituent teas. Drink with milk at any time of day but particularly good at breakfast or an afternoon tea picnic.

  • £3 for 40 tea bags
  • £3.35 for 125g of loose leaf tea
  • £5.63 for 250g of loose leaf tea

Or how about a Red Berry Mix infusion to serve cold as a refreshing summer fruit punch at a picnic? This can be brewed, cooled overnight, then transferred into a flask and will make a lovely refreshing drink on a particularly hot day like we’ve had lately. A spot of honey will make the brew an even more delightful sweet treat.

  • £2.42 for 50g
  • £5.90 for 125g
  • £6.15 for 15 tea temples

James Pogson, Owner of Northern Tea Merchants, says these products are perfect for a picnic because… these teas are perfect for any tea lover and what picnic would be complete without a flask of tea?

Available to purchase online from www.northern-tea.com/buy, from Northern Tea Merchants, 193 Chatsworth Road (free parking available on-street or car park to the rear of the shop) or give the shop a call on 01246 232 600 to arrange free local delivery.

Cacoa Elora – craft chocolate bars

Cacoa Elora is Derbyshire’s only craft chocolate producer making bean to bar chocolate using ethically sourced cocoa beans from Venezuela, Uganda, Nicaragua and Indonesia. Cacoa Elora make a range of dark and dark milk chocolate bars, including vegan options within their milk range of premium bars.

Their bars are full of flavour and let you taste cocoa rather than the sugar which is laden into branded chocolate. Each one is made using the minimum of machinery and tempered by hand on marble.

John, Owner of Cacoa Elora, says these products are perfect for a picnic because… We grind and conche our beans for many hours to bring out the natural notes present within each origin.

They can be purchased from the online shop at www.cacoa-elora.co.uk or they can be purchased at at Cup and Saucer in Clay Cross.

Ready-made picnic baskets

Let a local business do all the work for you and purchase a ready-made picnic basket from one of the below companies.

Salute Prosecco

Chesterfield’s Salute has recently launched its own rage of gift hampers and has created a special Picnic hamper to mark National Picnic Month.

£28.99 (including p&p) – Salute Picnic Hamper:

  • 1 x Cake
  • 1 x Packet of crisps
  • 1 x Bottles of water
  • 1 x Mini Gin & Franklin & Sons Tonic
  • 1 x Mini Prosecco
  • 1 x bottle opener
  • plus plastic glasses

To find out more, visit www.salute-prosecco.com/hampers/fathers-day-hamper, email salute.prosecco@gmail.com or call 07807 159 322.

Chatsworth House

With two picnics to choose from, created for two or four people, these picnics showcase the best of estate farm shop and local produce and are served in a reusable Chatsworth cool bag. Access to the house car park is included with all picnic bookings.

£45 – Chatsworth Family picnic (2 adults and 2 children)

  • Two filled baguettes
  • Two children’s sandwiches
  • Estate farm shop pork pie
  • Summer vegetable quiche
  • Carriage House chunky coleslaw
  • Potato salad
  • Estate farm shop crisps
  • Fresh fruit pots
  • Freshly baked scones with cream and jam
  • Chocolate brownies
  • Two Fentimans botanical beverages
  • Two Cawston Press juice boxes

£50 – Garden gourmet picnic (2 adults)

  • A selection of estate farm shop charcuterie and local cheese
  • Freshly baked rolls and artisan crackers
  • English asparagus, mango and avocado salad
  • Sweet potato, pickled onion, coriander and goats cheese salad
  • Summer vegetable frittata
  • Estate farm shop crisps
  • Summer berries with clotted cream
  • Gold leaf macaroons
  • Chatsworth vanilla fudge
  • Elderflower presse
  • A bottle of Earl of Burlington Collection wine

To find out more or to order, visit www.chatsworth.org/shop-dine/dine/picnics/ or call 01246 565300.

Van Dyk by Wildes

Order a delicious Van Dyk Picnic Hamper and you can choose dine on their new lawns or as a takeaway.

£36.95 – Van Dyk Picnic Hamper for two people

  • Van Dyk’s classic scotch egg and house piccalilli
  • Handraised Nottinghamshire pork pie
  • Cropwell Bishop organic Stilton
  • Vintage Lincolnshire poacher
  • Black Bomber cheddar & Henderson’s relish straws
  • Van Dyk’s marmalade and mustard glazed gammon
  • Chorizo and sausage rolls
  • House pickles and chutney
  • Marinated olives
  • Home baked sour dough loaf and butter

To find out more or to order call 01246 387386.

Recipe ideas

Get the whole family involved and try out a recipe from a local food & drink business. These items can then be added to your picnic basket and taken with you.

Carrot Cake – Stephenson’s Coffee and Tea House

Claire Wood, owner of Stephenson’s Coffee and Tea House, winner of many Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards over the years, shares her recipe for their scrumptious Carrot Cake.

Click here for the recipe

Chocolate Brownie – The Tickled Trout

Chris Mapp, Head Chef at the award- winning The Tickled Trout restaurant in Barlow says: “This brownie recipe has something of legendary status at The Tickled Trout now. It is so good, we just cannot take it off the menu. It is a proper signature dessert and great for chocolate lovers.”

Click here for the recipe

Florentines – Jacksons the Bakers

Trevor Jackson, Managing Director of Jacksons The Bakers in Chesterfield, and a former winner of the Chesterfield Food & Drink Awards ‘Food Hero of the Year’ award, shares the recipe for their popular Florentines.

Click here for the recipe

Energy Boost Smoothie – Qoozies

This delicious Energy Boost Smoothie from Qoozies, located in Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, is all made with fresh fruit and veg, and nothing else. It’s perfect for an all-natural energy boost!

Click here for the recipe

Lemon & Ginger Cheesecake with Raspberry Sorbet – Casa Hotel

This delicious cheesecake recipe, which will give a wow to any entertaining is taken from the cookbook, Mi Casa: Spanish-inspired recipes from the heart of Derbyshire. Written by local entrepreneur and Chesterfield’s four star Casa Hotel owner, Steve Perez.

Click here for the recipe

Find out more about Summer in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield Library to reopen this week

Chesterfield Library will reopen on Wednesday 8 July after being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic since 20 March.

Libraries across Derbyshire are to begin reopening from this week, with several temporary changes in place to keep customers and staff safe.

Chesterfield Library will be open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays until further notice, with people being asked to arrange appointments direct with their local library.

‘Book and borrow’ appointments for people wanting to take out books can be arranged over the phone or by email, and use of library computers can be arranged by phone only.

All currently borrowed books and other items have been automatically renewed until 30 September 2020 and people are being urged not to bring them back unless they have made an appointment. No overdue charges will be incurred for books which are currently borrowed.

It will not be possible for library staff to order books from other libraries during the temporary arrangements, and staff will only be able to provide items from their specific branch. This means that specific titles may not always be available. All books will be issued to 30 September 2020.

Library staff will monitor how the new systems put in place are working and ensure social distancing can be adhered to before rolling out the re-opening of other libraries across Derbyshire.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Tourism and Culture, said:“We are delighted to be in a position where we can start to slowly reopen our libraries and take the first steps towards getting them back to being fully operational.”

“The safety of our staff and customers is always our top priority, and we’ve been following government guidance closely, considering a range of options to get our libraries open in some form.”

“We know how important libraries are to people, and we’ve seen the number of library members rise by more than 1,100 during lockdown, with Derbyshire residents taking advantage of the excellent range of free services available online, from eBooks and eNewspapers to activities and research materials.”

“I hope library users will bear with us and take advantage of the reopening of services, albeit limited to start with, and we will endeavour to reopen other parts of the service over the next few weeks.”

During the initial phase of reopenings, it will not be possible to:

  • visit without an appointment
  • return books or other items unless attending a book and borrow appointment
  • browse the shelves
  • take part in reader groups or other activities
  • use meeting rooms
  • request specific items/books
  • use the toilets and baby changing facilities
  • read newspapers in the library
  • make donations, including to the foodbank.

Click here to find out more about the temporary new rules on borrowing books, and using computers in libraries.

You can contact Chesterfield Library by calling 01629 533 400 or email chesterfield.library@derbyshire.gov.uk.

Story of Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield’s hospitality and leisure businesses start to reopen

More businesses across Chesterfield, including pubs and restaurants, are set to re-open to the public from Saturday 4 July.

To make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend, Chesterfield Borough Council is reminding residents and visitors to adhere to social distancing rules and respect the Covid-19 secure measures that local businesses have put in place.

Residents that are making a special visit to a particular town centre business are being reminded to check that it is open as a number of businesses have delayed opening until Monday 6 July.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Cabinet Member for Town Centres and Visitor Economy, said: “After over 100 days of lockdown, this is a great chance for you to visit the town centre and support our local businesses. Sustaining our many brilliant independent businesses as well as the many household names that appear on Chesterfield’s high street is vital for our local economy.”

“Please do look after yourselves and your families. If we all follow the rules we can keep everyone safe. It is vitally important that we all remember this when visiting our favourite pubs and restaurants.”

The council is working closely with its partners to ensure that everyone can have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

There will be an increased police presence and the council’s town centre ambassadors will also be on hand if people need any support.

The council’s licensing team have been working with business owners to ensure that they have undertaken appropriate risk assessments and have procedures in place to ensure the safety of both their customers and their staff. Bars and restaurants will be collecting customer details as part of their responsibility under the NHS track and trace system.

The council is encouraging visitors to walk or cycle into the town centre where possible, as it is anticipated that taxis will be busy. Each taxi company will also have their own Covid-19 secure working arrangements in place and you should check these when booking.

Residents using public transport are also required to wear a face covering on all public transport.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Town’s hospitality businesses gear-up for re-opening

Chesterfield’s post COVID-19 recovery is taking a further step forward on Saturday 4 July, when pubs, bars, restaurants and accommodation providers are given the green light to re-open.

The re-opening signals the end of three long months of shut down and the signs are there that people can’t wait to return to their favourite haunts.

“Within minutes of Boris Johnson’s announcement our online booking system was deluged and we had to suspend it,” said Chris Mapp, owner of the Tickled Trout in Barlow. “People are generally fed up with cooking at home and are desperate to come back out, have a decent pint and enjoy a nice meal.”

Chris Mapp - Tickled Trout

Chris Mapp, Owner of the Tickled Trout

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, urged caution saying: “I hope many people will enjoy our beautiful town centre this weekend, but we all have a responsibility to help keep other people safe and it’s vitally important that we all remember this when visiting our favourite pubs and restaurants.”

However, understanding the government COVID-19 guidelines around re-opening has left many businesses scratching their heads in confusion.

“Hand sanitizer, plexiglass dividers at check-in and reminders to social distance are an expectation that we think of as the baseline,” said Steve Perez owner of Peak Edge Hotel and Casa Hotel.

Chris added: “We’ve gone through the 42-page document in great detail with industry experts and it’s not easy to understand; some of the guidelines are contradictory. We have erred on the side of caution however and undertaken very thorough risk assessments.”

“It’s bookings only for the time being to ensure everyone has a seat. We have reduced the number of tables and there will be no standing both inside the restaurant and outside in our pop-up bar md seating area. We’ll also be asking customers to complete an email questionnaire when they book with us as part of the Track and Trace system. Their details will be stored securely for 21 days and then destroyed.”

It will also be bookings-only for the time being for customers that wish to visit Stephenson’s Tea and Coffee House following re-opening on Monday 6 July. Owner Claire Wood explained: “This will enable us to have a total control over the number of people in our establishment at any one time.”

Stephensons Tea and Coffee House

Stephensons Tea and Coffee House

Brampton Brewery will open the doors of its pubs at 12noon on Saturday 4 July with table service being provided inside all its pubs. There will be no standing in the pubs, however outside in the confines of the garden areas it will be a bit more relaxed and people will be allowed to queue, socially distanced, to purchase from the bar. Chris Radford, owner of Brampton Brewery said: “We’ve tried to find a middle ground between being sensible and people being safe and comfortable.”

While some smaller establishments are choosing not to re-open due to a lack of space to accommodate social distancing measures, this isn’t the case for Stephenson’s. “At Stephenson’s we are lucky enough to have incredibly spacious rooms and have always provided a large amount of space between our tables which has enabled us to implement the 1+metre rule very easily.

Despite the additional COVID-19 health and safety measures hospitality businesses have had to put in place, operators are welcoming the return to business.

Marc Wildes, Managing Director of Van Dyk by Wildes, said: “We’re really excited to re-open and welcome our customers back.”

Claire Wood shared Mr Wildes enthusiasm saying: “We are excited to be re-opening. It will be good to see the town come back to life again and hopefully see the return of all businesses, and maybe some new ones too.”

Mr Radford agreed saying: “I’m relieved the pubs are at last re-opening. The government and council grants have been very welcome during lockdown but this hasn’t stopped bills hitting the mat.”

Van Dyk by Wildes

Van Dyk by Wildes

Excitement is tempered with trepidation however, with many operators unsure of what levels of customer demand to expect.

“Re-opening is a step into the unknown. When we re-open our doors at 12 noon on Saturday; we don’t know whether we’ll have a queue of people or no-one,” added Mr Radford.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said: “The re-opening of the town’s hospitality is a real turning point in the town’s recovery particularly as more people are expected to take staycations this year. Chesterfield’s proximity to the Peak District will, I hope, enable us to benefit from the projected growth in domestic tourism particularly if we can convert many of the town’s day visitors to overnight stays.”

Steve Perez added: “Recovery is very much dependent on domestic demand, particularly for the Peak District.”

Peak Edge Hotel

Peak Edge Hotel

Despite nervousness around re-opening, operators are optimistic about the recovery of Chesterfield’s hospitality sector. Chris Mapp praised the town saying: “Chesterfield is blessed with big outdoor spaces and is not over-populated which, I believe, will aid the sector’s recovery.”

Although the sector is re-opening its doors, a number of businesses are continuing to operate takeaway and delivery services that were put in place during lockdown. “Chris Radford explained: “A lot of our older clientele are still very nervous about going back into pubs so for that reason we’re maintaining our free home delivery service of bottled beers.”

Details of businesses offering takeaway and delivery can be found at https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/supportinglocal

Looking for inspiration of where to go to eat and drink check out the winners of the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards.

Chris Radford, Director, Brampton Brewery

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Derbyshire County Cricket Club squad returns to training

The Derbyshire County Cricket Club squad will return to training today (1 July) and begin their preparations for the 2020 season.

The phased return, which will closely follow current government guidance, initially allows players to train in one-hour, one-to-one slots with coaches. This schedule will gradually increase over the next few weeks to include larger group sessions.

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that should all government guidelines allow, the 2020 domestic season will start on 1 August, with a revised schedule and fixture list to be announced.

Dave Houghton, Head of Cricket, said: “This is another positive step towards playing competitive cricket this summer and that’s something everyone at Derbyshire is working towards.”

He added: “All of the players have been proactive in managing their fitness, but now we can pick up a bat and ball again with the aim of returning to competitive cricket in August.”

This year’s popular Chesterfield Festival of Cricket event, which was due to take place in June and July at Queen’s Park, has been postponed. When cricket returns, tickets purchased for the original fixture dates will remain valid.

Click here to find out more about the Chesterfield Festival of Cricket

Please note: The below picture was taken a previous cricket event held at Queen’s Park

T20 Blast

Posted in About Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting