Chesterfield visitor attractions

Peak District & Derbyshire businesses celebrate English Tourism Week

People are being reminded about the many great attractions and locations just waiting to be explored in the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby as part of the area’s celebrations for English Tourism Week.

Taking place from 15 to 24 March 2024, English Tourism Week aims to raise the profile of the industry and celebrate the value and quality of tourism in England.

This year’s campaign, co-ordinated by VisitEngland, is using the strapline ‘supporting tourism, the heart of our communities’ to highlight the industry’s important economic, cultural and social impact.

Tourism in the Peak District and Derbyshire continues to be a key driver of jobs and growth for the area, generating an estimated £2.59 billion for the local economy and employing over 28,000 people.

The Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) aims to grow the visitor economy further, working with local, national and regional stakeholders to create a strong, sustainable tourism sector that benefits everyone.

As part of the local celebrations for English Tourism Week, Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, and Stella Birks, Visitor Economy Development Manager at Derby City Council, visited Derby’s historic Museum of Making to show their support.

The visit kick-started a week of digital activity that will see the teams from Visit Peak District & Derbyshire and Visit Derby showcasing local tourism businesses and urging visitors and residents alike to explore everything the area has to offer.

From stately homes and show caverns, to farm parks and gardens, museums and galleries, and award-winning pubs, restaurants and places to stay, the area offers a fantastic variety of attractions for everyone to explore.

As part of the activity, the LVEP joined team members at Destination Chesterfield to visit local attractions, such as the Crooked Spire, Chesterfield Escape Rooms, Chesterfield Market and Market Hall, Casa Hotel, and local independent retailers such as Adorn Jewellers and The Cheese Factor.

As well as showcasing some of the destination’s key tourism businesses, the activity will celebrate the hardworking people who work in the area’s visitor economy sector.

English Tourism Week also coincides with Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s annual Season Opener and Leaflet Swap, which is being held at Thornbridge Hall near Bakewell on Wednesday 20th March.

The popular event – funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered via the East Midlands Chamber’s Derbyshire Accelerator Project – is an opportunity for local tourism businesses to collect visitor collateral for the coming season, network with industry colleagues and benefit from short workshops and advice surgeries.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, says: “English Tourism Week is an opportunity to put tourism centre stage and showcase this vibrant industry which supports thousands of jobs and communities across the Peak District and Derbyshire.

“It’s a great chance to recognise the value of the sector, worth £2.59 billion locally, champion the hardworking people behind the businesses, and highlight our world-class destination as a great place to visit and stay. With Spring upon us and the Easter break just ahead, there’s never been a better time to visit or revisit some of the fantastic places we are so fortunate to have on our doorstep, and I encourage everyone to get out and show their support.”

Find out more about the range of exciting attractions in Chesterfield and plan your visit to the town: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/

To see what the Peak District and Derbyshire has to offer visit the Visit Peak District & Derbyshire website: www.visitpeakdistrict.com.

Visitors to the county’s attractions and local tourism businesses are being urged to share photos of their visits on social media using the hashtag #EnglishTourismWeek24, tagging @visitpeakdistrict and @visitderby. For more information on events and activities taking place in Chesterfield, search for @ChesterfieldUK on social media.

CasaMollieandNadia

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Chesterfield Escape Rooms remains in the UK’s top 10 according to TripAdvisor

Chesterfield Escape Rooms has retained its place in the top 10 escape room attractions across the country, according to TripAdvisor.

The business, which boasts several exciting escape games for people of all ages, has now been in the top 10 list for two years running, making it stand out as one of the best attractions of its type in the country.

Belle Fox, Manager of Chesterfield Escape Rooms, commented: “We are so proud of our whole team that we have managed to remain in the 10 top escape rooms in the country for the second year running.

“We have a massive focus on customer service and customer satisfaction, we want people to really immerse themselves in the experience, most of our games offer some form of interaction with one off our game’s masters, this means we can really get people involved and give them an unforgettable experience.

Since the opening of the venue in 2021, Chesterfield Escape Rooms has grown from originally hosting 3 different games, to now having 7 games to choose from.

Belle continued: “Because we have such a young workforce it’s brilliant to have such an achievement like being in the top 10 in the UK, it shows the team what all their hard work goes towards and what they have achieved.

“We love being a part of the town and hopefully we are bringing something new and fun that everyone can play, we have children as young as 4 play all the way up to 92 years old. Our games really offer something for everyone.

“We head into our 3rd birthday this year so we are celebrating by opening our doors and giving 35 different Charites, schools, organisations and clubs and chance to come and play a game with us completely free on May 19th .”

Find out more about family-friendly activities in Chesterfield and plan your day out in the town here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/places-to-visit/family/

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

Female in black t-shirt stood behind branded Chesterfield Escape Rooms counter

Chesterfield Escape Rooms, Chesterfield town centre

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Peak Gateway appoints Stirling Prize winning architects

International, award-winning architects, Stanton Williams have been appointed to design The Gateway at PEAK, consented on 300 acres of reclaimed land located on the eastern boundary of the Peak District National Park, near Chesterfield.

The Gateway is intended to play an important role in cementing Chesterfield as a destination town as part of the Peak District experience and providing visitors and the local community with low impact ways to explore the National Park thanks to a zero-carbon travel hub.

Alongside Stanton Williams, a multi-skilled project team has been assembled, led by Milligan, a specialist destination and mixed-use real estate developer, who are working closely with regional strategic partners, including Chesterfield Borough Council, The University of Derby and the Peak District National Park Authority.

Peak Gateway Properties has briefed the team to define and design the Gateway build and operations around the principles of a ‘regenerative enterprise’, promoting the restoration and regeneration of natural resources and social systems.

The founders of Birchall Properties, the landowner, have already invested over 35 years in nature recovery and passive rewilding on the 300-acre Birchall Estate which had been the subject of extensive open-cast activities. By way of the Environment Act 2021 any development on the property must achieve a biodiversity Net Gain of at least 10% on its pre-development status.

The Gateway at PEAK will be an international standard tourist destination providing a basecamp and a gateway into the 550 square mile Peak District National Park.

Like a ski resort the PEAK Resort will be built around a carless mobility service, not in this case to mountains and skiing, but into the Peaks for biking and hiking, for nature, heritage, sport and culture. The commercial village will comprise of experiential retail, locally sourced dining and unique spaces for events, artisan craft and learning experiences.

Gateway @PEAK location

John Milligan, CEO of Peak Gateway Properties and Chairman of Milligan said: “It used to be that an iconic building was one that stood out from its surroundings. The Gateway will be iconic, but we’re setting a new standard for what that means. Here buildings will integrate with their surroundings and work to enhance biodiversity beyond what will be mandated.

“We want to attract a discerning visitor, who cares about the protection of the UK’s original National Park and wants to enjoy the wellbeing benefits that nature and being in the outdoors, for either leisure or sport, can provide. A wide range of experiential retail brands with a unique proposition centred on nature and the outdoors will help create the destination.

“The travel hub is central to the Gateway’s proposition, allowing visitors to transition into electric or hydrogen vehicles for onward exploration of the Park, its stunning landscapes and thousands of activities and attractions. This is a way to expand access to the park and support more destinations in a low impact way. Currently 85% of visitors travel into the Park by car which is not sustainable. Last year we ran the first trial for the travel hub alongside Toyota and other local partners. The technology operated on a 40% regenerative energy basis which is fantastic. The trial stakeholders and users endorsed the urgent requirement for this sort of service – when it’s up and running we hope it will be an exemplar for other hubs around the Park and for other National Parks in the UK to follow.”

Gavin Henderson, Principal Director at Stanton Williams, said: “We are delighted to be working with PEAK Gateway Properties to realise their ambitious vision for this exceptional site. The Gateway will be a unique destination designed as a cohesive group of buildings integrated into the landscape. The scheme embraces the principles of the circular economy and uses highly sustainable, durable materials including local stone and timber. As well as regenerating a former open-cast mine, it supports natural ecosystems through habitat protection and enhancement, while connecting people with nature and encouraging active and low-carbon travel to and within the Peak District.”

Rupert Carr, a founder shareholder in Birchall Properties, the landowner, and a director of PEAK Gateway Properties said; “The planning consents for PEAK Gateway Resort were implemented and safeguarded in 2016. We are very pleased to be moving forward again after surviving the challenges of Brexit and COVID.

“The realisation of Gateway fulfils our long-held ambition to showcase regenerative enterprise through land reclamation, a low carbon build and significant local employment creation.

“It is particularly pleasing to be a first mover in respect of offering tourists a zero carbon, carless mobility service to the attractions and landscapes of the UK’s first national park and to the medieval market town of Chesterfield.”

The Gateway’s zero carbon mobility service and its related infrastructure are critical to the delivery of this £300m investment programme into the visitor economy. The intention is to emulate the success of an international ski resort by providing hospitality and mobility from the outside of a national park. The Gateway, phase one of the PEAK Gateway Resort, represents a £150m capital investment and over 1,000 jobs, secured through a ‘green economy’ skills academy.

Section 73 and Reserved Matters Applications relating to the consented planning approvals will be submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council early Autumn.

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

The Gateway @PEAK Bird's Eye View

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New game to arrive at Chesterfield Escape Rooms

A brand-new game is set to be launched at the popular Chesterfield Escape Rooms, with the attraction confirming it will be open to customers later this month.

The family-friendly ‘Sausage Surprise’ game will feature the Escape Rooms’ brightest set yet, taking participants to a picturesque seaside setting.

With a Punch and Judy theme to the game, players will go through a variety of huts in search of hidden sausages, after the naughty crocodile eats them all!

Nick Hogan, Manager at Chesterfield Escape Rooms said: “We have now had five different games played out of the rooms, and there is very much demand for more.

“The town’s response has been phenomenal towards the Escape Rooms so adding to the room portfolio makes sense. Watch this space too, as more games such as ‘The Eerie Motel’, ‘The Big Hangover’ and ‘An hour to Kill’ will be in construction shortly.”

Since opening in 2020, Chesterfield Escape Rooms has shot its way up the rankings on Tripadvisor, even reaching the number one spot for escape rooms across the UK.

Nick said: “To get to the top of the TripAdvisor charts was a very proud moment for me and the team who have worked very hard over the last 12 months. There are over 800 Escape Room businesses in the UK so to have THE number one based on user feedback of our service is a great achievement.”

“We’ve done a few things with the community, such as setting up time limited discount codes for districts in Chesterfield. We also ran a 6-week schools’ competition during the summer holidays, and we even closed for the day to the public earlier in the year and ran free games for Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice.”

To find out more about some of the great places to visit around Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/places-to-visit/

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

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Visitors set to get their boots on for the Chesterfield Canal Walking Festival

The biggest walking festival based on a single canal in the UK returns to Chesterfield this month, with visitors encouraged to get their boots on and enjoy some of our area’s breathtaking scenery.

The fourth Chesterfield Canal Walking Festival will start on Saturday 10th September. There will be 36 walks in all, running every day to Sunday 18th September.

There are special interest walks, such as History, Architecture, Wildlife and Restoration. There are opportunities to explore some of the attractive towns and villages in North Nottinghamshire or you can combine a walk with a cruise on one of the Trust’s trip boats.

One walk includes a visit to a football stadium, another offers the chance to see beavers. There is a cycle ride with a difference and a ramble through ancient woodlands. Waterway and railway enthusiasts will relish the opportunity of a canal and river walk finishing up at Britain’s last surviving working Railway Roundhouse at Barrow Hill. Serious walkers will jump at the chance of walking the full length of the canal in the course of three days.

The festival is organised by the Chesterfield Canal Trust, whose Walks Officer, David Blackburn, said: “We look forward to seeing old friends again and hope to welcome many newcomers too. We believe that our 46 mile long canal has parts that are as attractive as any in the country. Do take the opportunity to join a walk in an area with which you are not familiar, and you will hopefully be pleasantly surprised.”

All the walks are free except for those combined with a boat. They must be booked in advance, either online via the Trust’s website – search for Chesterfield Canal Trust – or by ringing 01246 477569. A brochure with full details is available at various places along the canal, including Hollingwood Hub and local Tourist Information Centres. It is also available online. Some walks are already full, so it is advisable to book now to avoid disappointment.

The Chesterfield Canal Trust wishes to thank all the walk leaders, the many organisations which have helped and the festival’s sponsors: Harworth Group, Canal & River Trust, Derbyshire Grants Programme, Eckington Parish Council and West Stockwith Parish Council.

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.

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Matlock Farm Park reveals new ‘Enchanted Hamlet’

One of our area’s best family attractions, Matlock Farm Park has unveiled it’s latest new addition; The Enchanted Hamlet.

The Enchanted Hamlet is an exciting, brand new indoor and outdoor adventure play area at Matlock Farm Park, adding even more fun to a day out at the park.

Built of beautiful, rustic oak and larch, featuring enchanting twisted stagwood around much of the equipment, the hamlet is designed to encourage imaginative, sensory, physical and problem solving play for tots through to tweens, also providing delight for parents as they get involved too.

There is a large sand-based zone with chutes, pulley systems and platforms to encourage team work between children; sand kitchens and a traditional pit for little ones to enjoy sandcastle making; a pea gravel zone with areas designed especially for transference of materials, including very popular mini diggers and hidey holes too for children to enjoy.

The Hamlet will also feature an adventure zone, featuring a high tower with internal climbing wall and cargo net, a stunning bridge to walk across and get views of the park, slides-a-plenty and a great timber tangle climbing frame for a real challenge.

Much of the area is covered by a dramatic, huge round house, providing shelter and shade allowing visitors to use the area in all weathers. There is also lots of seating to relax at whilst supervising children and a ‘Fodder Wagon’ catering unit, for people to buy drinks and snacks.

Lotty Hawkins, Assistant Manager at Matlock Farm Park, said: “We’ve wanted to create something special like this for years and to finally see it all come to fruition is just wonderful. It’s a big investment for us, but we want to give our visitors an amazing experience when they come here and we know that animal activity combined with playtime is what families really enjoy.

“Covid lockdowns were really hard, but we’ve bounced back and had fantastic support from our visitors. We’ve made lots of improvements over the last 18 months, including adding the UK’s largest Jumping Pillow last Spring, and now we are just thrilled to have created The Enchanted Hamlet – it’s nice to be able to give something back to our loyal supporters.

“With the farm park being such a wide open, rural setting, we really wanted to compliment this with a play area built of beautiful, rustic wood and as you enter the farm park, the tower and round house covering are visible, giving a hint to what follows ahead. We wanted to create a feeling of enchantment.

“Many of our visitors have been coming to the farm park for years and the feedback on The Enchanted Hamlet has just been brilliant. Will be doing more development in the coming years? You never know – watch this space.”

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

 

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Chesterfield Escape Rooms celebrates official opening

Chesterfield Escape Rooms has officially opened to the public, after the highly-anticipated visitor attraction was given the green light by the easing of covid-19 restrictions.

There are a number of games to choose from at the venue, with the aim of solving the puzzles and escaping the room before the time runs out.

An official ribbon cutting was carried out on Monday (17th May) by Chesterfield’s mayor, Cllr Glenys Falconer who enjoyed a game of ‘Rob The Bank’ during her visit.

Nick Hogan, owner of Chesterfield Escape Rooms said: “It’s been a few months in the planning but it has finally happened, we’re open for business! Our original objective was to put a smile back on the face of Chesterfield and give the town centre a new focus and I think we have achieved it.

“We are only small cog in the amazing amount of positive activity taking place around the town, but nevertheless the feedback we are getting from the games is fantastic.”

The Escape Rooms now employs 15 staff on a mixture of permanent, Kickstart and casual contracts. They are all trained to ensure customers feel safe and enjoy their experience.

Nick continued: “What i have loved so far is watching teams from the Games Masters area, having fun. To see people together, smiling, laughing, joking and having fun has made the setting up of the business worthwhile. Our social reviews on trip advisor, Facebook and Google have been unbelievable and testament to the pride and hard work that all of the team put in to each game.”

“So many people i have spoken to have advised they have never played or even considered playing an escape room but have decided to support the business and give it a go. The very same people are the ones I love watching the most. One lady, who, in reception asked lots of questions due to her lack of understanding, was seen doing a full on fist pump when she solved her first clue!!”

“We really want our customers to embrace our different themes and experience all of the games and wow are some of them competitive! We have launched a set of monthly leader boards which are advertised in reception, starting the concept of being an ‘Escape Room Legend’ to get into our all-time Hall of Fame! A player must have successfully completed all three games to enter!”

To find out more about Chesterfield Escape Rooms and book your visit, head to http://www.chesterfieldescaperooms.co.uk/ or email info@chesterfieldescaperooms.co.uk

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

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Medieval Masterpieces ‘coming home’ as Chatsworth House reopens

Two medieval masterpieces are returning to Chatsworth after more than 60 years and will go on display to visitors for one season only as the house reopens on Tuesday 18 May 2021.

At almost 600 years old and measuring more than 11 x 4 metres each, the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries are one of the largest pictorial representations of any kind from their period and the only great 15th century hunting tapestries to survive. Depicting medieval scenes of fabulously dressed noble men and women hunting in imaginary landscapes, they are believed to have been made in Arras, France between 1425-1450.

Having been closed for more than six months, the house will reopen its doors to ‘Life Stories’, a new exhibition that shares stories about the fascinating lives of people associated with Chatsworth through the placement of nine paired portraits and objects. Life Stories will run throughout the house before visitors reach the last room, the magnificent Sculpture Gallery, where the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries will be hung on the walls.

The tapestries belonged to the Devonshire family for more than 500 years before they were accepted by HM Government in lieu of tax payable on the estate of the 10th Duke of Devonshire. They were allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum where they have been housed ever since. Chatsworth is working in partnership with the V&A to bring the tapestries back to the house for this eight-month display.

The Duke of Devonshire: “It is a great privilege to welcome these tapestries back to Chatsworth; they had been part of the Collection for very many years until they were given in partial lieu of death duties in the 1950s. Since then they have been superbly looked after at the V&A Museum and we are delighted that they are allowing us to enjoy them here in Derbyshire once again for a few months in 2021.”

Tapestries were enormously costly objects in the Middle Ages and therefore the preserve of only the wealthiest families. The details of the tapestries give an insight into medieval life, but the action is set in imaginary landscapes. Hunting tapestries, with scenes of forests, people and animals, were a popular subject, transforming the cold and draughty interiors of medieval castles and mansions into forest glades.

The ‘Life Stories’ exhibition (18 May – 3 October 2021) includes the pairing of the artist Elisabeth Frink’s Tribute I with Angela Conner’s portrait of Frink herself; Alicia Paz’s painting Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere is connected to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, to highlight her interest in politics, science and poetry; while Henry VIII’s rosary, Natasha’s Daintry’s 2015 ceramic work Skin Deep, and a recreation of Bess of Hardwick’s necklace of 1000 pearls, made by leading Derbyshire based jewellers C W Sellors, also feature. Focusing on the traces of lives in the house, the exhibition presents objects in new ways, demonstrating how past figures continue to resonate in our lives today.

The house completes a phased reopening at Chatsworth with the garden, farmyard and adventure playground already open to visitors.

Tickets are now on sale and must be booked in advance. Each area of Chatsworth will reopen in line with government guidance on social distancing, household mixing and travel restrictions applicable at the time.

Indoor restaurants will also reopen on 18 May while most other restrictions will be lifted from 21 June.

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

 

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