01.
Saturday January 10th
Belper Historical Farmers' Market
Belper Historical Farmers' Market
Market Place, Belper | 8.30am-1pm
Cancelled due to Inclement Weather
In 2026 it will be 287 years since Belper’s Market began. There’s a historical twist to the monthly Farmers' Market for its first session of the year. Traders will be selling historical themed products, dressed up for the occasion and offering a wide range of goods. This takes place on the historical Market Place and is free to attend. There will also be stalls from local historical groups showcasing the significance of the Market Place and the role it has played in the history of Belper, both outside on the Market place (it used to be the Village Green) and inside the No.28 community hall.
Free entry
Preserving Belper's Industrial Heritage
No.28, Market Place | 9am-1pm
A project coordinated by Belper Historical Society (BHS), engaging with communities in and around Belper who may have family artefacts from Belper factories. Volunteer BHS ‘curators’ will help to collect, organise and preserve factory-related photographs, documents and artefacts, creating virtual scrapbooks.
Once catalogued and digitised, original materials will be offered to the Derbyshire Record Office for long term storage.
Free entry
Sunday 11th January
Commemorative Service
Belper Unitarian Chapel | 10.30am for 11am
Opening the year of Belper 250, marking 250 years since the building of the first Strutt Mill in Belper, in 1776. This special service welcomes people of all faiths and none, offering a moment to celebrate our town’s heritage and the festival of events ahead, in the chapel that Jedediah Strutt provided for the town. Together, we will honour Belper’s past while looking forward to a year of community, creativity, and shared celebration. One hour service followed by refreshments.
Free entry, donations welcome
Thursday January 15th
The Strutts and Pentrich Revolution
Room 107, Strutts Community Centre | 7pm for 7.30pm
A talk for Belper Historical Society by Sylvia Mason. Did the Strutts unwittingly cause the Pentrich Revolution? Did the Strutts support the rebels by declining jury service and pushing for pardons? Joseph Douglas Strutt wrote to his cousin, Edward, about the executions “People are flocking into Derby … Good God, are these things to be suffered much longer in our free and happy land”.
Free to members, £5 for visitors
Friday January 16th
Music: Robyn Wallis Johnson & Dale Rowles showcase
St Faiths Community Hall, Belper Lane End | 7pm-9.30pm
Robyn Wallis Johnson is a folk acoustic lyrical singer and songwriter from the midlands accompanied by local artist Dale Rowles in a live recording. Refreshments by donation.
Entry by donation
Monday January 19th
Cotton On Podcasts
Belper Library, Derwent Street | Library opening hours
Fleet Arts share their ‘Cotton-On’ project that explores the links of cotton to enslavement, through podcast interviews by Belper Youth Council with an academic, historian and campaigner.
A listening station will be available in Belper Library.
www.fleetarts.org
Friday January 23rd
Welcome Meal Project
No.28 Market Place, Belper | 12-2pm
The Welcome Meal Project is a monthly community meal run by volunteers and offers pay-what-you-can for soup, bread and a pudding is supported by Transition Belper
No need to book - Pay what you can
Sunday January 25th
Talk: Belper’s Lost Manor House
No.28, The Market Place | 4pm
Talk by Trevor Griffin. The biggest mystery in Belper is, ‘where was the manor house?’. This was no ordinary manor house, it was the HQ of the ancient royal forest of Duffield Frith, it belonged to the Kings and Queens of England and was a large and well-appointed building. Trevor's talk will go into the detail of what is known about it, the investigations to find it for the past 25 years, and introduce new evidence.
Booking essential. To book a place please text 07485 147784 and leave your name and number. We will confirm your booking.
Entry £5
Saturday January 31st
Music: Robyn Wallis Johnson
The Queens Head, Chesterfield Road Belper | 7pm
Robyn Wallis Johnson is a folk acoustic lyrical singer and songwriter from the Midlands.
Places can be reserved via mjones572@hotmail.co.uk
Entry £10, £8 unwaged