133: Belper and Farnah Green (Amber Valley 2020)

AMBER VALLEY WALK FEATURING BELPER AND FARNAH GREEN
"Belper and Farnah Green”
Filmed 29th August 2020
Post-production completed 23rd September 2020
Continuing northwards along the valley of the River Derwent in Derbyshire, I enjoy another lovely walk in the Borough of Amber Valley. I visit the mill town of Belper, just 10 miles south of where I live, so it’s a place I visit quite regularly. However, this particular walk, is another I’ve not done before, so I look forward to discovering this new route for the first time…..
Filmed in the Borough of Amber Valley in the county of Derbyshire. Locations include Belper and Farnah Green.
Written, researched, directed, camera and sound, edited and music by Patrick Leach.
Special thanks to Love Belper, Amber Valley Borough Council and Visit Peak District and Derbyshire for their helpful information used in my research for this film.
Click here for a map showing the route of the walk: osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/r...
DISCLAIMER: Although I work hard to ensure all information is correct to the best of my knowledge, I am only featuring information I have found online during my research when putting this film together, so I cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors.
As with all the films I make, this is a mini-movie of my personal journey along the walk, in which I might share some of my own personal stories, and not actually intended to be a guide to the area.
If you are new to my channel, I strongly recommend reading the description under the “about” tab, which will provide a clearer understanding of what to expect in my films: / solitaryrambler
There is also a short “Introduction to the Solitary Rambler” video, which briefly explains what my films are all about: / solitaryrambler
Many thanks and I hope you enjoy watching!
IF YOU ENJOY MY CHANNEL THEN PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT ME:
For a small fee you can download any of my musical soundtracks I have composed for my films: patrickleach.bandcamp.com/tra...
Or if you would like to make a small donation with no obligations then you can do so through Buy Me a Coffee: ko-fi.com/solitaryrambler

[@pete7179]

Still in awe of all the hard work that goes into these films Patrick,all the research,writing it,filming and presenting,editing,writing and playing the music,you are a talented man and we appreciate it very much,whenever I see a part where you're going through a stile or walking along I always think that you set the camera up,then had to walk away,to then walk towards the camera for the bit you want,and as I know from one of your lockdown films its not always done in one take. While watching the film I considered a trip to Belper to try out those real ale pubs so I had a look for when things are back to normal and its £23.20 return for me,so I think I'll stick to York. I watched this on the tv,just before going to work on my 4pm till 2am shift on a front line ambulance and it put me in a relaxed frame of mind,thanks again for all the hard work and for sharing,all the best and take care, Pete.

[@solitaryrambler]

As always Pete your words are very kind and supportive. Can't recall if I had to do more than one take for those shots in this one, but it all helps to keep me fit - that's the way I look at it anyway! 😊 I think York is definitely the better choice for you Pete on the real ale pubs. Actually, the guys with whom I've been to Belper on the train, are the same guys I enjoyed a stag weekend with in York back in 2014, hence making my film in that fine city the following year. Thanks again Pete for all your kind words and for watching. Cheers, Patrick 👍

[@CountrysideWalking]

I thought the same myself about setting up tripod walking into/out of shot then walking all the way back to collect tripod. A lot more patience than I have.

[@jeffallinson8089]

I have to say the people of Belper seem to have a real pride in their town. The floral displays look superb and the town looks lovely and clean. Great video as always, thanks for this and the music is spot on too.

[@solitaryrambler]

Yes Belper looks great doesn't it, lots of floral displays. Thanks as always Jeff for your kind comments and for taking the time to watch 👍

[@jeffallinson8089]

@@solitaryrambler Your video's are always a real pleasure to watch.

[@richardchan9595]

Everytime I watch your video, I want to move to UK. Picture perfect sceneries, deep rich history and perfect weather. Thank you again for sharing Patrick!

[@solitaryrambler]

Nice one Richard, thanks as always for your kind words 👍

[@paulbeachcroft3323]

Yet another great walk and video Patrick. Had an aunt and uncle who lived in Stockport but moved to Belper to see out their later years. Glad to see you appear to be fit and well mate.

[@solitaryrambler]

Many thanks for watching and for your usual kind comments Paul, I think going out to shoot these films helps to keep me fairly fit. All the best 👍

[@williamclarke2020]

I must say you make Derbyshire out to be a very desirable place to visit. It seems the Cotswolds get all the attention for the most part. From all the videos I have watched, The Forest of Dean, The Peak District, The Yorkshire Dales, etc..they all seem just as lovely. I miss going out for a pint and Scotch too!! Bloody Covid19. Thanks again mate for another great video.

[@solitaryrambler]

Thanks again for your kind words William. not much longer before those pints are accessible again 👍

[@shepsterfamily4389]

I was feeling a little homesick today and came across your video. I left Belper 10 years ago and moved to Australia. I was hoping that your video would help but it actually made me worse :-) I've been back 5 times and still call it home. Thanks for your efforts and showing people my lovely town, i can't wait to get back once this virus settles down.

[@solitaryrambler]

My pleasure and thanks for watching 👍

[@lindaking9222]

I am always amazed at how many working mills there were at one time...my mum worked in an Oldham cotton mill “ many moons ago”different times then

[@solitaryrambler]

Thanks again for watching and commenting 👍

[@MrJud62]

another fine video patrick,very well narrated and put together,you are one talented guy,keep up the good work.

[@solitaryrambler]

Thank you kindly Ken, your comments are much appreciated 👍

[@heydenharrison143]

A very enjoyable video Patrick.Sections of that walk were part of the Strutts School cross country course including Jacksons lane.Timothy Dalton was a former pupil at Strutts.

[@solitaryrambler]

Many thanks for watching Heyden and for the nice comments. I knew that Timothy Dalton had grown up in Belper so nice to know which school he went to 😀

[@walkandcamp]

Excellent film Patrick. Great music. Very professional as always. Terry.

[@solitaryrambler]

Many thanks Terry! You kind comments are very welcome indeed. Thanks for watching 👍

[@fehmiabbasi4874]

Thank you Patrick for amazing walk of Belper neat and green. scenic beauty

[@solitaryrambler]

Glad you enjoyed it Fehmi and thanks for watching as always 👍

[@johnsparkes8963]

Very enjoyable video again Patrick. Lovely place love the weir very scenic. Thank you for sharing and take care.

[@solitaryrambler]

It's a great weir isn't it? Thanks as always John for commenting and for watching 👍

[@davidkeel]

Another nice video Patrick. You seemed to be enjoying engaging with the camera and us very much in this one. Maybe the lock down makes us feel more isolated in our day to day lives. ? Thanks again. David

[@solitaryrambler]

I think you've hit the nail on the head there with the isolation from the lockdown David. Something I might touch upon more in a future film. Thanks as always David for your great comments and for watching 👍

[@delmiller4184]

Thanks for showing us around Belper Patrick.. Lovely walk with your relaxing composition.

[@solitaryrambler]

Glad you enjoyed it Del and thanks for the lovely comments 👍

[@nicolafigini784]

I’m moving to Derbyshire to live and work on a farm in a couple of weeks, and Belper is the nearest town. I love rambling, and your video has really whetted my appetite for getting to know the surrounding area. Thank you!

[@solitaryrambler]

Hey that's great to know! Many thanks for your lovely comments and for taking the time to watch 👍

[@WyeExplorer]

Belper is a belter Patrick. Sounds like you found your favorite town in the region. There's always one town that touches you. Mind you it's hard to choose sometimes. Here there are so many beautiful little towns. Any way, great walk albeit in one valley or another. Aaah, the der amber valley. Enjoyed your company once more Patrick. Back from the Wye Valley Walk. It was great. All the best. Mark

[@solitaryrambler]

Hi Mark, yes Belper sure is a belter and I feel very lucky to have plenty of those kind of places near me. This walk was fab expecially not having done this one before. Have been thinking about you lately actually Mark, wondering how the WVW has been going for you. Glad it was great. I'm sure you'll have something to share with us on that at some point. I, for one, certainly very much look forward to that. All the best Mark and stay safe. Cheers, Patrick 👍

[@WyeExplorer]

@@solitaryrambler It looks a belter of a small town Patrick. Good to hear it was a great and hey new walk. I'm just sorting through all the files at the mo but hope to create something nice for everyone. Any way, have a really good weekend.

[@b.m.t.h.3961]

I used to work at Babington hospital. Lovely town and lovely walk. Thanks.

[@solitaryrambler]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@gisellebolotin8237]

Good morning , Thankyou for sharing these uplifting videos 🙏

[@solitaryrambler]

Good morning to you too and thanks for your kind comments 👍

[@PopularesVox]

The river gardens are a really nice spot for a sandwich and a close look at the river. The local ducks will also appreciate your visit. For those with more of an appetite try “Georges" near the service station, which I think is the finest fish and chips in the area. I didn't know until recently, that Belper has associations with the great Will Hay who began his career working at the theatre there.

[@TR3XProductions1stChannel]

Nice episode! Although I'm not familiar with Belper, I recognised the one mill building you looked at (East Mill) and I saw it on a Wikipedia page back in 2017. The view of Belper at 15:28 looks breath-taking and the rushing water at the mill does sound nice, it reminds me of the mill streams at Mill on the Green in Ludlow; great soundtrack in this episode as well. Looking forward to more episodes!

[@solitaryrambler]

I find the mill confusing as the chimney says East Mill, but most of the signs say North Mill, yet it's all part of the same building so when I put a title on it I just put Belper Mills. I was pleasantly surprised, having not done this walk before, of the view of Belper too. Glad you liked the souondtrack and thanks again for watching! 👍

[@aatravelling7625]

What a wonderful walk! Awesome place and great footage. Thanks for the tour. Big Like + new friend + full view. Have a beautiful weekend!

[@solitaryrambler]

Many thanks Anthony and Angie! Pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for your kind comments and for watching 👍

[@Kenners.]

I hope you get back to Belper soon. Catch up on all your missed pints. Haha. Fab vid.

[@solitaryrambler]

I hope so too, it'll be a lot of beer!! Thanks for watching 👍

[@rafaelmartineztomas4911]

Thank you so much for bringing us this little chunk of Britain :)

[@solitaryrambler]

You are very welcome and thank you for watching 👍

[@kenwright2652]

Another fantastic video. It looks a lovely area, and not a part of Derbyshire I'm familiar with. Time to put that right.

[@solitaryrambler]

Many thanks Ken. It tends to be a bit quieter a few miles south of the Peak District, so I guess this would be a good walk to do on busier weekends away from the crowds 👍

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Drove past the big brick mill last week, been a couple of years since... I was brassed to note its apparent really tatty grubby broken windowed state. I'd understood that several companies were working out of there but it appears completely abandoned.

[@frankfitzgerald5832]

Well that was lovely so surprised by the mill and its surroundings i d heard of belper but obviously i ve never been but i must admit it looks a smashing place also loved the railway tunnel so unusual ...Thank you once again Patrick another great video ..regards and stay safe ..Frank & Lee...

[@solitaryrambler]

Glad you enjoyed it Frank and Lee. I couldn't see the end of the tunnel in the previous film near Duffield, so it was great to see the other end here. Thanks again Frank and Lee and stay safe too 👍

[@bodieofci5418]

I had a gf who lived in Belper and visited her regularly. We did a lot of walks around the area. Timothy Dalton comes from Belper as well.

[@solitaryrambler]

I remember discovering that Timothy Dalton growing up in Belper (although he was born in North Wales) 👍

[@Neil-ck7ud]

Sounds like you’re missing our nights out Pat !! (Not the only one or two) now I’ve dropped into ‘High Level’ won’t be for a while!! That night we ended up amidst the Monster Raving Looney Parties annual conference in Belper, was a memorable one! 🤣

[@solitaryrambler]

Hey Neil, I certainly am missing our nights out! Ah the Monster Raving Looney Parties do in Belper, what a memorable night it was indeed! 😂 Yes you're just inside the district boundary for tier 2 aren't you, hope that won't cause you too much of an issue. Stay safe! 👍

[@roycase8186]

Wonderful I love Belper

[@AstromanJB]

Great video of my home town, really enjoyed it.

[@solitaryrambler]

Glad you enjoyed it, many thanks!

[@TomTom-df9ph]

What a lovely video, very well put together.

[@solitaryrambler]

Thank you very much, I appreciate your kind words! 👍

[@DownHillCol]

That’s a lovely walk, I’ve done that many times over the years so it’s nice to see it from a different perspective. What camera are you using as it gives a lovely deep perspective 👍

[@solitaryrambler]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching. I use a Sony Handycam 👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5K5dWZ8edShotU

[@christopherbentley7289]

Many thanks for this very well put-together video, Patrick! Before Late October 2018 I used to live over on that side of Belper - I'm on the Far Laund side now - between the brow of Chevin Road and the entrance to the way through the Meadows, passing by Chevin Mill, so I'm wondering if that's the way you took back to Belper on this occasion. It would have been great if you had included that part of the route so I could have seen my former house, but I suppose you are a little limited with what you can fit into a video. It was quite a reminder that that August last year had been a relative 'shocker' weather-wise, with that wet and muddy patch by the little bridge over the Black Brook through the Meadows, that is usually quite dry at that time of year!

[@solitaryrambler]

Hi Christopher, many thanks for your kind comments and for watching. I don't know if you read the description below the video, but it includes a link to a map which shows the route of the walk, so you can see the route I will have filmed here. It's always a long day when I'm filming a walk, normally around 6 hours on average, so it's possible I may have shot where you lived and that scene didn't make the final edit - I always shoot much more footage than I end up using. I do remember it being chilly on the day I filmed this as I was wearing my fleece, not something I would expect to have needed in August, so yes it was a shocker of a month with the weather! Thanks again and the best 👍

[@christopherbentley7289]

@@solitaryrambler Thanks for the reply and the confirmation that my memory of that month's unseasonal weather is sure! Actually, after I'd made that comment it did occur to me that there'd be a map of the route, which I have checked out and I see, sadly, that you left Chevin Road via the footpath going around Swiss Cottages, so you would have missed the northernmost part of the road, which is particularly a pity, since you also missed the blue plaque marking where Samuel Slater ('Hero or Traitor?') lived a short way up the road from my old house and also the eastern fringe of the garden of the house where Timothy ('James Bond') Dalton lived. My late mother was interviewed by the 'Derby Telegraph' after he had landed that juicy role and she regaled them with the tale of holding the bus for him at the bottom of Dalley Lane when he was running late!

[@kellyshaw7271]

When i was leaving work rather late one night. I met two men at the bus stop. They had been setting up the real ale barrels for CAMRAs weekend function held in Stockport each year. Anyway each barrel they laid out, they got to taste. They could barely stand up let alone get on the bus. Really enjoyable as always, some beautiful views in your neck of the woods.

[@solitaryrambler]

Ha ha yes I've seen people at other CAMRA events barely being able to stand. Fortunately, I've not reached that stage yet! 😊 Glad you enjoyed this and thanks as always for watching 👍

[@CountrysideWalking]

Another great video. Like Pete's comments below, a lot of background steps taken to produce your videos. I admire your patience in setting up tripod and walking into and out of shots. A lot more patience than I could ever have but end results magnificent. How long does it take to produce your videos?

[@solitaryrambler]

Many thanks for your kind words again Shanita. Well although this particular walk was just over 6 miles, which would probably take about 2½ hours to walk, it took me 6 hours due to all the setting up of the shots. This is normal when I'm shooting a walk. I talk about this a little in one or two of my behind-the-scenes films I've made recently, particularly in "Reflecting back on 25 years". Thanks again. Cheers, Patrick 👍

[@CountrysideWalking]

@@solitaryrambler I remember you mentioned it took 6 hours to film before, but does this include all the film editing, narrations and music recordings as well? It usually takes me a few days before my videos are ready for uploads. Thanks for responses.

[@solitaryrambler]

@@CountrysideWalking The 6 hours on the day of filming is purely just the filming, so it doesn't include editing, etc. It takes me a few days after filming to edit all the scenes I use, then I've got to research online for the narration as well as writing and recording it. The music takes the longest time as, depending on how my ideas flow, it can take many days to create a theme and then record that too. I also update a Facebook page and website, so there's never nothing to do with my filming 😊

[@CountrysideWalking]

@@solitaryrambler Thanks for responding. It's reassuring to know I am not on my own with all the dedication involved, but rewarding to share for people's enjoyment.

[@suebrown436]

Never heard of Belper before, so this was a nice introduction. I found the level of the water rushing under the low arched bridge a bit worrying - had there been a lot of rain or is it always like that? The extra sounds from the keyboard were nice, Patrick!

[@solitaryrambler]

I think the water in the weir normally runs as seen here, quite a sight to see. Glad you enjoyed this Sue and many thanks for your kind words and for watching 👍

[@juliacolebourne7989]

River level was about average - you ought to see it when the Derwent is in flood - awe inspiring, and a little worrying when it comes over onto the roads and paths seen here. Saw my house at 15:50, look out onto Farnah Green from the other side of the valley, think my view is nicer !

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

A bit late to the party on this one, mate, but Timothy Dalton lived in Farnah Green for years. i think he still owns a house there.

[@solitaryrambler]

👍

[@daveoliver3719]

Umm

[@solitaryrambler]

?

[@daveoliver3719]

@@solitaryrambler Excellent film, the amount of detail you add is fantastic. I dont know if you have covered Ticknall as yet, but its worth a visit. Keep up the outstanding work

[@solitaryrambler]

Thank you for watching Dave and for your kind comments, much appreciated. If you get the chance, please look at my playlists which are grouped into UK regions. There is one for Derbyshire, and within that a film I made in Ticknall back in 2016 👍