I have been so lucky to find a home in this Derbyshire town

Pictured is King Street in Belper
-Credit: (Image: Google)


It's been just over a year since I joined Derbyshire Live as a trainee reporter and exactly nine months since I moved from Sheffield to beautiful Derbyshire. I remember when I was looking for a place to rent over the Christmas period last year and how stressful that was. Being fresh out of the University of Derby and having to deal with all this grown-up stuff was tiresome - and a bit of a reality check.

Finding the right location was important to me. I had fond memories of living at different locations around the Derby area for three years while I was a student, but I couldn't face another year locked in the confines of a city - and the house prices in the suburbs were ridiculous, to be honest. Growing up in Sheffield I was familiar with the north of the county - Chesterfield, Clay Cross and the towns around Matlock and the Peak District were often the scenes of days out and football matches as a child.

But it was only once my mates started driving at uni that I became familiar with the likes of Ashbourne, Duffield and Belper - and the lush countryside that separates them. After months of scouring the web, I finally found a little one-bedroom house with a small garden in Belper - something I've only just realised how lucky I was to find.

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It was scary beginnings - January was cold and dark so I didn't get much chance to explore and see the sights. I live up in the Whitemoor Lane area of the town which, to those unfamiliar with the area, is a nice quiet part, often frequented by dog walkers and crowds of children once the 3pm bell rings.

Just as a precursor, my knowledge of Belper is still developing, so apologies if I make any geographical errors. The great thing about living around Whitemoor Lane is you are given two choices in your downtime, either walk into town and be greeted with busy streets and bustling businesses, or take a stroll towards Heage where you'll be met with a wealth of greenery and fields.

I remember when I told my 96-year-old grandmother I was moving to Belper, she couldn't believe it. "Never," she exclaimed, before catching her breath. "The charity shops are amazing. It's a proper high street."

You see, despite her tender age and being legally blind, you'll still find Joyce catching a bus from Sheffield to Bakewell once a month, and if she could still drive, she'd be in Belper regularly - she absolutely loves it, and I couldn't agree with her more. It seems to be the perfect mix of rural and urban life, the town centre is clean and devoid of the lunacy you might find in Derby's St Peter's Street, and the countryside enshrouds and complements the town's borders.

She wasn't lying about the charity shops either. When I first moved I needed a TV stand and a coffee table and I was told to visit the Lighthouse charity shop at the top of King Street. Less than 10 minutes later - and less than £30 spent - I had everything I needed (and had to stop myself from buying loads of other bits I simply had no use for).

In 2023, Belper's King Street was named the tenth best high street in the UK following a poll from the Daily Telegraph's "destination experts" - and it's easy to see why. Not only does it have the high street classics such as Poundland, Greggs and Iceland, but it also houses some fantastic and unique vendors which transport you back to a time when high streets were thriving.

For example, Fleur Florists, a beautifully presented store adorned with colours of autumn at the time of visiting, adds so much to the high street and will no doubt be a playground for avid gardeners in the area. Fleur's sits next to Gummers of King Street, a delightful fruit and veg grocer that sells fresh produce and retains an authentic market stall feel in the midst of an ever-changing high street.

Then there's the pubs. Wow. Belper has a fine range of bars, pubs and restaurants - two of which were named Derbyshire's "best" in 2024. The Railway, opposite Campbell Street, prides itself in having a great beer philosophy and a fine selection of ales all year round and was named the best pub in Derbyshire by our readers in April.

Just up the road lies Nourish at No. 44, which was crowned by Derbyshire Live readers as having the "best fry-up in Derbyshire" - also back in April. It truly is the place to be at the moment, and new bars and shops are always on the horizon - with the town's potential seemingly limitless.

I also spoke to a few shoppers to get their thoughts on life in the town. Andy Kirkhope has lived in Belper his entire life and says he's "delighted" with how it has retained its authenticity over the years. The 59-year-old said: "Belper is always changing, but I think it's managed to stay a nice place over the years, which is delightful really.

"You see how other town centres are, they can be busy, miserable and full of idiots - but in Belper, things have managed to stay civil. Sure, you get the occasional crime or whatever, but that's expected. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else and I'm confident it will stay that way."

Another shopper, Jane Mycroft, also had heaps of praise for the town. She said: "One of my favourite things is spending time around the River Gardens and walking along the high street and up to Market Place. The shop owners are all really friendly and they all take care of the town to ensure it's the best it can be.

"The charity shops are also great and we have great buses into Derby and Ripley, so I find it easy to get around since I don't drive. I also love the fact we have so much history in the surrounding countryside. Heage Windmill isn't too far away so sometimes I'll take a walk over there as a bit of exercise - but our steep hills can be a challenge sometimes."

Although I've been around the town plenty of times, I'm sure there's still much more to explore. It's been a great start to my new life in Belper and I'll be more than happy to spend another nine months here - or even nine years, depending if my editor is sick of me by that point.