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Ashgate Hospice’s Light Up a Life service sees hundreds take part to raise thousands for the charity

Hundreds of families celebrated their loved ones at a poignant sell-out lantern-lit procession and remembrance ceremony – raising more than £20,000 for Ashgate Hospice.

The hospice’s new-look Light Up a Life event saw more than 450 people attend to help fund end of life care in North Derbyshire.

Around 350 supporters joined the 1.2-mile procession as they lit up the streets of Chesterfield with special lanterns personalised in tribute to their family and friends.

It brought walkers to the hospice’s site at Old Brampton, where they were then joined by more supporters who attended just the ceremony.

Families from across the region and beyond came together to remember, celebrate and pay tribute to their loved ones who are no longer with us.

Their support has helped raise more than £20,000 so far, with donations still coming in. This money will go a long way towards helping to fund vital care for patients and their families.

Jack Wood, Head of Fundraising at Ashgate Hospice, said: “Thank you to each and every one of our supporters who braved a chilly December evening to come and join us at our Light Up a Life event.

“December can be an incredibly difficult time of year for many, so we felt it was important to give our community a chance to come together to remember our loved ones.

“This was the first time we were able to hold our Light Up a Life ceremony in person since the pandemic and we are delighted with how the new-look event went – I hope everyone that came along did too!

“From those who walked with us along the procession to our supporters who joined us for the ceremony at the hospice – we’re so grateful for your support and I hope it brings you some comfort at such an emotional time of year.”

The unique remembrance service, which took place on Sunday 4th December, was led by local celebrant Jonathan Reeve and featured gentle live music from local singer Ariarna Joy in the beautifully lit gardens.

Anyone who would still like to remember their loved ones from home whilst supporting the hospice’s Light Up a Life appeal can donate and receive a special lantern which can be personalised with a photo of their loved one and a special message. They will also be sent an electric light to place inside their lantern.

Ashgate Hospice supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Light up a Life Ashgate Hospice

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

Chesterfield hair and beauty salon expands into new town centre premises

Chesterfield-based hair and beauty salon, Autumn House has announced an exciting expansion in the town centre.

It paves the way for the business to open a whole new range of services, enabling it to offer a full range of party and events packages and even a bar for customers.

In addition, owner Hayley Milner is looking to deliver hair training courses on a larger scale and is looking for new stylists and beauty therapists to join the team.

Commenting on the move, Hayley said: “Moving into the town centre into such a big building, after being in what was essentially a two-bedroom terrace turned into a salon for the last 5 and a half years, was incredibly scary.

“But myself and the girls I work with are so excited to be in and working, now the renovation is finished. We were at full capacity in the last space we had, and with the amount of footfall passing by, hopefully we will attract some new clients.”

Hayley also spoke about why she loves having her business based in the town: “I love my business being based in Chesterfield, as all of my new shop neighbours have been so friendly and supportive.

Autumn House Team

Autumn house, Image supplied by Brand Photography by Wings

“Obviously my clientele is mainly from Chesterfield and they’re all so lovely. I wouldn’t move my salon anywhere else!

“It’s so important for people to continue to support small and local businesses, especially at the moment. I always try and buy from fellow smaller businesses where I can, instead of the huge chains. You’re supporting someone’s dream and their family.

“My clients are amazing, and most have been with me since day one, supporting and pushing my business.”

Find out more about Autumn House on Facebook, and to explore the great range of independent retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/

To get more infomation on the benefits of locating your business in Chesterfield, visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

Autumn house

Autumn House Interior – Image supplied by Brand Photography by Wings

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

Markham Vale extension to create 800 new jobs locally

An extension has been approved to build on the hugely successful Markham Vale business park, next to the M1 in Derbyshire.

Markham Vale was established as a joint venture between HBD and Derbyshire County Council back in 2006 and now hosts more than 2,700 jobs across a wide range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing and logistics.

Markham Vale is home to a range of business uses, including Daher Aerospace which is exporting monorail parts to Cairo, Grangers International which manufactures waterproof outdoor products and shoe care products, and Sterigenics, which makes sterile healthcare products.

Devonshire Property Group will continue its work with the commercial developer HBD at Markham Vale and hopes to create around 800 new jobs for local people, with a scheme that pays strong attention to its natural surroundings.

The project includes an extensive landscaping plan that makes the most of the site’s existing features, whilst protecting and improving the river corridor. Significant planting will include c. 5,700 new trees (including 2.15ha of new woodland planting), 3.7ha of new grassland habitat and two kilometres of new native hedgerow to screen the development and create areas of new habitat.

This creates a 10% improvement of biodiversity net gain over the existing ecology value, in excess of current policy.

The success of the existing business park has led to the site running out of space to accommodate large space users and without this new development, Markham Vale will have to turn away investment from the growing industrial and logistics sectors, who require large units at locations with good access to the motorway network.

The site itself comprises two non-protected agricultural fields, bounded by the M1 to the south and keeping a large separation distance between the business park and the village of Woodthorpe. The final design of the buildings will be in accordance with the established design code for Markham Vale, which fixes a limited palette of colours to minimise visual impact. All vehicular traffic will use the existing highway network to allow easy access to the motorway.

Andrew Byrne, speaking on behalf of Devonshire Property Group commented: “The extension to the business park at Markham Vale is expected to create up to 800 new jobs for local people at what is a very successful development already supporting 2700 jobs in a variety of sectors.

“We’ve put in place an extensive landscaping plan, which includes protecting and improving the river corridor, and extensive tree and hedgerow planting as well as a large area of grassland. We’re also working with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to improve the wildlife habitats on a nearby site that will result in an overall 10% net gain in biodiversity. This is a high-quality extension to a highly successful employment location, with the aim of making a real contribution to the strength of the local economy.”

Devonshire Group and HBD support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Markham Vale Business Park

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Council takes next step to safeguard the future of Chesterfield’s historic Tapton House

Proposals to safeguard the future of Chesterfield’s historic Tapton House – ensuring the Grade-II* listed building can be restored and brought back into beneficial use – have been considered by Chesterfield Borough Council.

A sympathetic scheme which would see the building restored and converted for residential accommodation, together with a commitment to retain the parkland for public use and create visitor access to part of the Georgian mansion, was chosen as the preferred option by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday (13 December).

The decision followed careful consideration of bids from 17 interested parties, with the council’s Cabinet approving the sale of the property on a 999-year ground lease to developers, Stone Castle Enterprises Ltd. The sale is subject to further legal due diligence and exchange of contracts.

Councillor Dean Collins, cabinet member for economic growth, said: “Just like the people of Chesterfield, we want to achieve the very best outcome for Tapton House. This is why we set out to find a new owner with the necessary expertise and financial ability to restore and refurbish Tapton House and safeguard its long-term future.

“The council’s Cabinet considered a detailed report on the bids received and the robust process that has been followed to evaluate and score each against a range of relevant criteria – including evidence of proof of funds, and that conservation and environmental matters have been properly considered.

“The offer put forward by the preferred bidder represents the most credible, sympathetic and financially viable option to restore and safeguard the building for generations to come, and the developers have made a commitment to work closely with the council, the Friends of Tapton House and the wider community, as their plans progress.”

Any development will still be subject to planning and conservation approvals, but the proposals put forward set out an aspiration to convert the main house into 15 apartments, with three town houses and two bungalows built in place of the annexe buildings.

Stone Castle Enterprises Ltd have confirmed that no hard boundary would be required and open public access to the parkland would continue. The developers would also seek to create a public heritage area in the building to ensure its past use as the home of Charles Paxton Markham and George Stephenson are celebrated and the importance of the property to the town’s history continues to be commemorated.

Councillor Collins added: “I would like to express the council’s thanks to all 17 bidders who submitted offers to take on this treasured asset. In arriving at a final decision on this important matter, Cabinet members also considered the many views that have been expressed and representations made at earlier council meetings – including the debate on the Friends of Tapton House’s petition.”

A spokesperson for Stone Castle Enterprises Ltd said: “Our vision for Tapton House is to reflect its heritage, honour its past and to create new homes within the space that are steeped in history but built for modern lifestyles.

“We understand the significance of Tapton House to the local community and as such our proposals include maintaining the current levels of public access to the grounds around the building and exploring the viability of developing part of the building to showcase Tapton House’s rich heritage.

“We look forward to working hard, alongside the council and the community, to deliver the best for Tapton House and for the town and borough.”

The Cabinet decision is subject to the council’s usual call-in procedures.

Tapton House

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Chesterfield Champion assists in bringing The Institute of Quarrying to new Derbyshire HQ

A Chesterfield Champion and member of the town’s Property and Construction Group has assisted in bringing forward a planning application to transform Derbyshire’s National Stone Centre into a world-class visitor experience.

A detailed planning application for a £6.5m transformation of the centre which draws on influences from local rock formations for the building’s form, has now been jointly submitted.

The proposed new National Stone Centre will embody strong references and links to the area’s geology and industrial heritage, including the overhanging rock formations found in local gritstone outcrops, such as Black Rocks and Stanage Edge.

Phase One of the project includes proposals for a 100 seater café/restaurant; four naturally lit classrooms with a combined capacity of 120 learners; 700m2 of museum/exhibition space; a souvenir shop; Changing Places facilities; a new thematic children’s playground; and a 1200m2 open-air circular piazza for community events.

Working closely with The Institute of Quarrying and Babenko Associates, Rodgers Leask prepared a Transport Statement, Travel Plan and Flood Risk Assessment to support the application.

Commenting on the job, Jack Lindsay, Senior Transport Planner at Rodgers Leask, said: “Having visited the site a number of times to support design development, it is clear to see that the proposals will result in a fantastic facility for all future users and it’s great to have been able to support a site that considers and enhances access opportunities for all”.

Rodgers Leask’s Traffic and Transportation team helped Babenko Associates develop a masterplan that caters for the predicted increase in multi-modal trips to the centre, with improved pedestrian connections, the installation of electric car charging facilities, bicycle storage and the commitment to implementing a range of suitable travel plan measures.

James Thorne is chief executive officer of the Institute of Quarrying, which has merged with the National Stone Centre. He says: “In 2021 the value of tourism to the Peak District and Derbyshire’s economy was estimated at £1.96 billion. A reimagined and reinvigorated National Stone Centre will bring new visitors, as well as providing a focal point for engaging the public, schools and colleges in the science, history, present and future of the quarrying and mineral products industry.

“We are delighted to have reached this point in the project, which makes everything feel so much more real. This planning application is the end result of over a year’s consultation and engagement with all of our stakeholders. We have listened and learned, taking on board feedback that has helped shape our application.

“We firmly believe that our plans represent an exciting moment in the history of the National Stone Centre, delivering a unique building that is both fit for purpose and inspiring for generations to come. It’s the home that such a significant collection deserves, as well as proudly representing what is now the largest manufacturing sector in the UK.”

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire says: “We’re proud to support the Institute of Quarrying’s exciting plans for the National Stone Centre near Wirksworth. These plans signal a positive step towards their goal of creating an extraordinary new centre of excellence that will not only attract visitors from across the UK but will also support local jobs and provide unique educational opportunities that will benefit both visitors and residents alike.

“As a valued Strategic Partner, the Institute of Quarrying shares our commitment to increasing the value of tourism and promoting the Peak District and Derbyshire as a sustainable, world-class destination. The National Stone Centre is a great public asset that will help deliver these goals and more – and securing its future is so important.”

Rodgers Leask and Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

National Stone Centre plans

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Chesterfield’s CBE+ invests £2m in Europe’s first robotic automated Electroless Nickel Plating line

Engineering supply chain provider CBE+ is installing the first 6+1 robotic Electroless Nickel Plating (ENP) line in the UK and Europe at its 70,000sq ft state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

Representing a £2 million investment, the automated plating line will allow the company to undertake a range of innovative projects at its Chesterfield base, including the processing of small, precision-engineered components in high volumes and the ability to deliver high-quality parts at a consistently high standard.

The automated line from Sidasa Engineering will also facilitate a highly repeatable surface treatment process, reducing the time taken to complete and send large orders to customers and significantly increasing CBE+’s Electroless Nickel production capacity.

Chief Executive Officer, Marie Cooper, said, “This is a significant investment for CBE+ and one that will bring many benefits to the business and our customers. The new plating line reduces the scope for human error by automating dosing control and deposition monitoring and measuring. This results in a consistently high-quality finish on the products we process.

“Automating these tasks means we can redeploy skilled employees to projects that require higher levels of expertise. As well as freeing up time from the plating line, we are also automating parts of the jigging process in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). This will enable the team to use their skills and expertise on projects that will interest and challenge them, as well as helping to drive the business forward.”

This investment continues CBE+’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, the new nickel-plating line will be linked with the newly commissioned effluent water treatment plant and combined heat and power (CHP) system. The CHP system captures heat generated as a by-product of electrical power generation which is then used to provide heat energy for the surface treatment processes. The effluent plant filters and neutralises all waste chemistry on-site and allows for environmentally safe disposal and recycling.

Mark Lawson, Managing Director said, “The Effluent and CHP investments are both critical steps made to Ensure CBE+ are reducing our Environmental footprint.”

The new ENP line will be delivered in December. The line will be commissioned from February and fully operational in March 2023.

CBE+ supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home, Love Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

New town centre café ‘beyond excited’ to open its doors to customers

A new café in Chesterfield town centre promises to provide a ‘warm and friendly service’ to visitors, after recently opening its doors to the public.

Café One is the latest in a range of new independent food and drink businesses in Chesterfield, with the owner aspiring for the venue to become a place for people in the community to relax, drink great coffee while they meet a friend, get work done, or meet a loved one for some lunch.

The Café has an industrial feel, inspired by nature – from the colour scheme to the plants that have been incorporated. The team hopes to have created a place where people feel welcomed and cosy, and leave feeling refreshed with a smile.

Explaining what customers can expect to find on the menu at Café One, owner Bee Jaansoo commented: “We have an extensive drinks menu, offering great coffee, variety of hot drinks, teas, soft drinks and seasonal options.

“We have a selection of European cake and homemade brownies (Vegan & Gluten free available). We also offer toasted tea cakes, cheese and fruit scones, toast (White, brown or rye bread) with an option of butter (dairy free option available) or jam, sausage rolls (English & European version) and MOMA porridge pots (Gluten, sugar free & vegan options available).”

“In the near future we want to offer sugar and gluten free cakes, protein bakes and protein shakes.”

Bee explained why she decided to take the plunge and open a new café in the town, despite having experience in the beauty sector.

“My background is beauty, but it’s something I didn’t want to do. So, I thought about what else I love; coffee and people.  So, that’s how we came up with the idea of opening a Café in Chesterfield town centre, as we live in Inkersall. I love coming to the town centre, so it only made sense to open a café here.

“What I love most about Chesterfield is the people and the community. As Chesterfield has become our home, it made sense to invest locally. Choosing local keeps the town alive and the people in the community thriving.”

Bee has also thanked the Cafe’s staff for helping to get the new venture off the ground. She added: “I want my team to feel proud and happy to be working at Café One. We are a small business, just starting out, but we care about our staff and we want them to feel valued and appreciated. They have been an incredible help in the opening of the café.”

“I am beyond excited and I feel very grateful that I’ve been able to do this work. As I mentioned I love meeting and talking to people, so being able to give something to people that they enjoy and makes them happy makes me happy.”

You can find Café One at 1 Soresby Street, Chesterfield, S40 1JW. For more details on the business, head to its Facebook Page and website.

Find out more about the fabulous range of food and drink businesses in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/eating-out/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

Chesterfield business earns rare honour of two prestigious Queen’s Awards

Chesterfield based company Imagesound has been recognised with two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, awarded for outstanding achievement by UK businesses.

Imagesound and sister company Musicstyling provide bespoke music and messaging solutions to businesses in over 150 Countries world-wide, from retailers Co-op, Tesco, H&M, adidas and Target, hospitality including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Caffe Nero through to global hotel chains Marriott, Radisson and IHG.

The company’s highly responsive IMS system—designed and built in Chesterfield—received the coveted award for Innovation, delivering music, messaging and signage solutions to over 70,000 sites, detailing every song played or advertising message displayed.

This technology helped the business win its second award for International Trade with significant global sales growth across both Imagesound and MusicStyling brands.

Phil Burroughes, Managing Director of the Imagesound Group commented: “A Queen’s Award for Enterprise is amazing recognition of what the business has achieved, and we are delighted to have been one of the few businesses to be awarded two, especially as this was the first year that we have applied.”

To be eligible for the Innovation award a company must have an innovation that has not been sold before, demonstrating outstanding or continuous commercial success over a specified time frame. Imagesound was in the unique position of being able to fulfil both criteria.

Proof that that the organisation has achieved outstanding growth in overseas earnings, relative to business size and sector, was one of the key requirements for the International Trade award.

Following a reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this year the awards were formally presented by the Lord Lieutenant at Imagesound’s Chesterfield office on December 5th, 2022.

Burroughes concludes: “It is a testament to everyone’s hard work across all nine of our global offices that we have achieved two such prestigious awards. To my knowledge we are the only company in our sector to ever do so, reinforcing the dedication and expertise of our teams across the world.”

Find out more about Chesterfield’s diverse Creative and Digital Sector here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Chesterfield manufacturer works with chocolatier to produce festive range for John Lewis

Robinson, a Chesterfield-based manufacturer specialising in value-added custom packaging – has teamed up with Holdsworth Chocolates to create a Christmas confectionery range for John Lewis.

The bespoke festive range includes a selection of 100% recyclable rigid boxes, sleeves and treat bags printed in a six-colour design and foil blocked on gold.

Robinson produced the 200g and 400g box and lid on a recently acquired rigid box line. The new equipment – SATE machinery – is based at the site in Chesterfield and offers huge advantages in terms of production and quality of the finished product with savings on fixed production costs, consistency and reliability, and ease of use and maintenance.

Jon Walker, New Business Development Manager at Robinson said: “Producing high quality, creative, engaging packaging for brands and retailers at an affordable price is key. Being an independent company means that we can be flexible to the needs of Holdsworth. We turned around production from design to delivery in just 3-4 weeks.”

David Sharples, Managing Director at Holdsworth Chocolates said: “Whenever we produce packaging, including for special celebrations such as Christmas, we aim to make sure all the materials we use are sustainable and can be recycled.

“Sustainable packaging is a collective goal for both Robinson and Holdsworth. Our brand was developed on a passion for creating beautiful hand-crafted chocolates, using the finest of everything, that’s why it is so important that we invest in high quality sustainable packaging that reflects our values too.

“The packaging has been printed using six colours and is completed with foil blocking; the perfect finishing touch to add a stunning and luxurious feel to the design. As the Christmas packaging was only needed in limited quantity, Robinson provided a small bespoke run for Holdsworth’s needs, making them the perfect packaging partner.

“The breadth of the Holdsworth chocolate range of products means we have a requirement for a wide spectrum of packaging solutions, whether that be rigid boxes and lids, folding cartons or our unique clam shell gift boxes. With Robinson, we have found a partner in whom we can place an absolute trust; not only in reacting quickly to demand but also in helping us to create beautiful, sustainable packaging that perfectly complements our core values as a British business of excellence and quality.”

Robinson supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Christmas, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Chesterfield hot tub manufacturer launches new ‘AquaSolus’ range

Chesterfield’s Superior Wellness has announced the launch of AquaSolus, the brand-new range of luxury hot tubs hitting the market.

The new AquaSolus product range offers six new hot tubs. The range encompasses various well sculptured models, from all seater models to models with one lounger.

Following the soft launch at Spatex earlier this year, the company officially launched this new range at The PSP Expo in Vegas and The Piscina and Wellness Show in Lyon in November. Superior Wellness is confident that this new product range will offer customers across the globe an improved choice and an exceptional hydrotherapy experience.

The new AquaSolus range from Superior Wellness has been designed to improve wellness. AquaSolus meaning ‘health through water’ in Latin is the essence of what customers will experience with this range. The hot tubs have been carefully designed with wellness and hydrotherapy at the forefront.

Superior Wellness is proud to partner with industry leading suppliers to bring customers the highest quality hot tubs with the best hydrotherapy experience. All AquaSolus hot tubs are built around an impressive tubular stainless-steel framework, due to its robustness we are proud to give a lifetime warranty on its integrity.

In a world of increasing energy costs, it’s vitally important to put energy efficient insulation at the forefront when designing a new hot tub and the AquaSolus range is no exception.

Utilising a tried and tested Heatlock Insulation Process, where the exterior of the spas is insulated in the same way we insulate our homes, creating an inner heat shield. Using this method, the heat is reflected back inwards, and is then used to help maintain the temperature of the spa through heat transfer via the vast amount of plumbing; this assists with the overall running costs.

Graham Message, Superior Wellness Business Development Manager said “Our new AquaSolus range sees Superior Wellness venture into the high end, high specification hot tub marketplace for the first time.

“Aimed for the more discerning customer who requires more than just fun from their hot tub, AquaSolus was designed to capitalise on hydrotherapy, water management and energy efficiency. No short cuts were taken when we designed this range as we wanted the latest technology and only the best industry components to match the vision. We had to make the AquaSolus range the best we could and I’m pleased to say we have achieved the brief we set ourselves.”

To find out more about partnering with Superior Wellness on the brand new AquaSolus range please email sales@superiorwellness.co.uk

Superior Wellness supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

New book to showcase scenic walking routes around Chesterfield Canal

The Chesterfield Canal Trust has just published a book of walks along and around the canal, showcasing some of the town’s beautiful scenery.

Entitled ‘Walking along the Chesterfield Canal’, it has 76 pages with lots of maps, photographs and illustrations. It costs £10 and is available from the Trust’s shop at Hollingwood Hub and online from its website – search for Chesterfield Canal Trust.

The book was written by David Blackburn who is a leading light in the Ramblers and who has been the Walks Officer for the Trust for about 25 years.

David said: “I have been walking along the Chesterfield Canal for many years and it has given me a great deal of pleasure. It’s a privilege to be able to share some of the walks I enjoy, and I hope they will give lots of pleasure to other walkers too.

“They vary in length, cover the whole canal towpath and also use footpaths in the surrounding countryside; most are easy, with just a few offering a little more of a challenge in areas where footpaths are less well used.

“I hope users will find the walks in the book both interesting and enjoyable and tempt them to explore parts of the canal they have not visited before.”

The 25 walks are circular and cover the full 46-mile length from Chesterfield to the River Trent. There are two particular features to the book. If you complete all the walks, you will have covered every inch of the towpath. Also, each walk can be combined with the next one in the book, giving longer walk options if you wish.

The walks are very varied. They give the opportunity to enjoy a variety of canal scenery and features and also to explore the paths and tracks, some used relatively infrequently, in the surrounding countryside. You can visit the villages and towns close by.

Some walks, especially on the Derbyshire section, are in a more urban setting and pass through areas once devoted to the industries that made considerable use of the canal. That’s all been swept away, and the canal follows a peaceful green corridor, with only a few scars from past industry remaining.

In South Yorkshire there’s a big flight of locks – more in a mile than any other canal in the country. It’s surrounded by woodland and green fields and is amongst the most attractive lengths of canal in Britain. Some areas, especially beyond Worksop and Retford, have a quite remote feel as the canal passes through miles of agricultural land with several attractive villages close by.

There’s a great deal for lovers of wildlife too, with lots of flowers and trees and many birds – on and out of the water. Kingfishers can be seen regularly, even in the more urban parts beyond Chesterfield. The graceful heron can often be seen looking out for fish for its next meal, whilst in some of the clear water sections, mainly in Nottinghamshire, an abundance of fish can be spotted.

The canal is also home to the water vole, an increasingly threatened species. Do allow yourself time to stand and stare – the walks are best enjoyed if you are not rushed.

Chesterfield Canal Trust supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

canal walking festival

Posted in About Chesterfield, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

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