If You Go Down To The Woollen Woods…

… you’ll certainly be enchanted by the magical walk along the path from Mill Lane where the trees will be decorated with the woollen creations of numerous community groups, charities and organisations representing Belper.

The 5^th Belper Woollen Woods starts on Saturday (18^th May) and continues through to the Bank Holiday Monday (27^th). Access is either from Mill Lane, where Amber Valley Borough Council are due to remove the barrier at the entrance that has proved a barrier to wheelchair users, or from the Coppice Car Park – follow the path down and across Coppice Brook and back up the other side.

Derbyshire Artsword have produced a short video that gives a taster of what to expect. See the video HERE

Meanwhile, at No 28 on the Market Place, there is a whole day of related activity on Saturday 18^th May. There is a Café in support of St Peter’s Community Garden from 10.30 – 2.00 whilst the story of Millie the Mill Mouse, aimed at 5 to 7 year olds, will be told by North Mill volunteers at 11.00 am and again at 1.00 pm.

At 2.00 pm local historian, Adrian Farmer, leads a ‘talk-and-walk’ about the history of Belper and the deer park whilst at 3.00 pm there is a complete change with some Viking rock from the Lords of Valhallah. The woods are believed to have been previously in the ownership of Sward Bam, a Danish warrior and wealthy landowner. That connection is celebrated this year.

 

 

Stalls will be run throughout the day from:

• the North Mill,
• the Belper based re-enactment group members of Jorvik Viking and
• Belper Arts Festival sponsors, Seiko Kinoshita, who will be inviting you to join in weaving on wooden flowers

Once the woods are fully decorated we’ll bring you a gallery of photos but nothing compares to taking the walk yourself.