Bimbling around Belper

Day three of my little trip last week. I left the hotel at 9.30 after breakfast, and left Burton heading towards Derby. The area around Belper looked interesting on the map, so I parked up at Duffield and started walking along the Derwent Valley Heritage Way, towards Milford. The sun was against me again for taking photos. A lot of Derbyshire houses are built like this, on a hill with a terraced garden and stone walls. 

I chatted to a lady who was tending her beautiful garden, she said she had lived there for 44 years. When I came to the end of a track a dog walker was unloading his pack from the back of his van, six dogs of different sizes. They looked really keen to get going.

It was busy in Belper, a long time since I was last there. I used to do a van driving job before I became a trucker, and Belper was on my patch. I visited garages to sell car spares. I wasn't much good at selling, but I liked the driving.

The Memorial Park is nice and tidy with flower beds and lawns, and this amazing sculpture stands on a plinth overlooking the park. You need to stand back from it to admire the complexity of it. It's made from steel.

Close up you lose the picture altogether, it's just metal bars of different shapes.

If you click on this picture to enlarge it you should be able to read all about it. 

Flowers in the Memorial Gardens.

Flowers on the railings at the side of the road.

I thought this Mill might be open for viewing, but the only board I could see at the front was one advertising a restaurant.

The River Gardens are lovely.

The River Derwent which flows through the middle of Belper.

My feet were beginning to get a bit sore so I decided to call it a day and head for home. I got the bus back to my car. I really enjoy these short breaks, and it's thanks to Janet my cat/house sitter that I can get away for them. 28 miles in total I walked on this trip. It all adds up. 

Toodle pip. ilona