Hey all.

We're looking to buy somewhere in the Belper area over the Summer. Most of it seems nice but is there anywhere within 5 or so miles of Belper that we should steer clear of? (For point of comparison we're in Shelton Lock/Alvaston, South Derby – just so you can guage where we are on a sliding scale of relative scalliness). Cheers

I can't really think of anywhere in the Belper area that I would steer clear of. The only places really would be the 'social housing' estates*, but even then they're nothing like inner city ones.

Parking is a major issue in Belper and the surrounding villages though so something with a drive (even though I know you don't drive!), would make the property easier to shift in future.

Holbrook, Milford, Heage, Coxbench, Ambergate(!) – all have nice spots. Did you have anywhere

*don't think were allowed to call them council houses now!! :o)

I lived up Mount Pleasant area until 2006, best side of town 😆

If you don't drive, the old bit near the mill is nice, parking is a pain for those who do, but it is a lovely place to live, handy to walk to the shops and for the train station too.

Nowhere that I know of to avoid.

Joe

I used to live in Belper for 5 years (moved in 2001 – moved out 2006). I was told the parks estate was the place to avoid when I bought mine. May of all changed now. I lived near long row (just near the royal oak) end of town and it was a really nice vibe down that part.

Heathenwoods – I also lived in Alvaston too (my first house was near the whyatt). You've nothing to worry about moving to Belper. I have done the reverse and moved back to the city!

The curry takeaway (name evades me) on the A6 next to the pizza shop is blinding. Really miss that place!

Cheers all – I think creeping doubt set in when I read about the fella who had his bike nicked and someone made a passing reference to Kilburn being a bit rough (I mean, it's getting on towards Notts!! 😉 but I'd never really heard anything so I wondered if it was me not knowing about rural crime hotspots 🙂

We're really looking at 5 mile radius round Belper. I really fancy Heage but I'm not sure why! Ambergate would be great. Anywhere with fields, woods and fresh air nearby really. I'll watch out for parking issues; I started driving in Nov and the missus is hoping to pass before we move so it'll be a consideration.

Grateful for the curry house recommendation 🙂

Can't really comment on Heage, but an old friend who is rather well off and has taste lives there – that's as much as I know.

Bikes get nicked everywhere. XXX was unlucky, but it's not a reflection of Belper, probably just our current society 🙁

Bengal Blues – Best Curry house in the world (IMHO). Anywhere within a walk of the market place is a great location as there are plenty of pubs, good food places, cinema & trains station. There is a parking problem (cars & old mill cottages are not a great mix!)

The surrounding villages are great, Heage, Crich, Workswirth, Pentrich, Ambergate etc but you pay more for the location & are further from a station if that's important to you.

A friend lived in Kilburn & enjoyed it. Not as many shops n stuff within walking distance but it depends what you want/need.

Great riding from the door in all these places. Take your pick.

It was me that referenced Kilburn, and I live there. Kilburn has a chunk of social housing and as comes with this, there are a small minority of scrotes resident within, no different than the Parks estate or in Heage. My bikes live in my shed, so I can't be too worried, I generally find it a very freindly place.

If my job seeking goes according to plan then me and Mrs M may be looking around the Belper area this summer too; sorry to hiijack the thread but along the same lines as above anyone got any comments on Cromford? Just south of Matlock Bath by the looks of it…

Cromford's nice, has a cool bookshop and a decent chippy! Quite a few wagons going up and down the hill though if you live on it.

Cheers all. Confirmed that it all sounds great, roll on the summer 🙂

Hijack away munkster. We'd definitely be looking at Cromford if it wasn't just outside the 25mins driving from her mum's that my missus has stipulated 🙄 – some decent off piste riding and a great book shop/café.

Nice one, cheers for the info. So many nice places to choose from it seems, the agony of choice!

Cromford's a shithole best avoided. You'd be much better 2 minutes drive down the road in Matlock (not Matlock Bath) itself.

That's quite a contrasting view to the other comments TAFKAS??

There are a few nice properties in a nice enough area I suppose, but the village as a whole is rather dull and the majority of it is aligning three fairly major traffic routes with a lot of HGV's and quarry traffic. Not sure about at the moment, but from my youth it seemed to have more than it's fair share of scally's per capita too.

Belper's great. Moved here 6 years ago.

Agree with DPM (except that Maharaja is better than Bengal Blues 😉 )

Usual thing of avoid the ropey estates (but everywhere has them). Surrounding villages are nice, but the prices go up.

I'd avoid getting too far out to Matlock way as the traffic can get really heavy.

Be good to get some more riding buddies round here.

but from my youth it seemed to have more than it's fair share of scally's per capita too.

LOL, I may have been born and breed on the mean streets of Ashbourne 😉 but I am wondering just how many scally's that would be in a village of 1800 (?) people tops. Whilst I agree about the quarry traffic and it being dull, I'm struggling with the notion of it being the 'hood'. Last time I was there eating in the quirky veggie book shop cafe, John Hegley sat down next to me to eat his organic pizza. Perhaps I've been spared it's seedy underbelly. From my time working adult menatl health around that patch I wouldn't have any worries about living in any of the towns mentioned above, although at the time Belper did have quite a large and young heroin problem for it's size. But that was 10 years ago, and after doing the same around Manchester, there is little comparison.

If anyone's still watching this thread: how about Carsington/Hopton? Are they as nice as they ought to be that close to Carsington Water?? TIA…

Carsington area seems lovely, I can let you know more when I move there in a month 🙂

…how about Carsington/Hopton?

You'll find there's quite a price difference between Carsington and Belper!! 🙂

And I'd concur with the traffic comments re Cromford – its a ruddy nightmare to get near the place in summer. The tailbacks can easily be 2-3 miles long at a weekend.

You'll find there's quite a price difference between Carsington and Belper!!

Carsington pricier I presume? Is traffic a bit less mad around there then?

I can let you know more when I move there in a month

Lucky you! Will be interested in hearing how you get on! I need to get a job first of course 🙄

Carsington pricier I presume? Is traffic a bit less mad around there then?

Carsington / Hopton are (obviously) not as tranquil as they used to be what with the tourists / day trippers that have arrived with the reservoir.

A lot of the traffic by-passes the villages by staying on the B5035 but there is still a fair amount including the hordes of walkers / leisure cyclists at the weekend. Great riding from the doorstep there also.

Personally if i was buying a house in the area you mention and it was just my choice i would choose Fritchley (near Crich).

Personally I really like Belper itself. It is like a proper place. Most of the other, smaller places, are less places where stuff goes on, and more places where people live, and drive away from if you know what I mean. If you're lucky you get a pub and a village shop.

Matlock is also a proper place, although personally I don't think it is such a nice one, and it is a pain if you have to get to Derby from there.

Joe

Carsington, Hopton, Brassington, Kniveton, Kirk Ireton, Atlow, Bradbourne, Parwich and Hognaston – all nice villages within two miles of Carsington Water, but you'll pay a hefty premium as a result. Carsington (village) is still very quiet – and will be even more so when they finish the bike route that will then cut out the road crossing in to Hopton. If you need a School, Pub etc then be a bit more picky – Brassington, Carsington, Kniveton all have schools, and most have at least one pub.

If I had to pick a town I'd go for Wirksworth over Belper, Ashbourne or Matlock – it's on the up (No I don't live there).

If you need o be closer to Belper then Fritchley; as Cuckoo says, is a good choice.
Don't move to Matlock Bath under any circumstance if you want to use your car as a means of transport in the summer. Cromford isn't much better as said above.

The B5035 does get busy in Summer – particularly with bikes on their way to Matlock Bath and the whole area is a real tourist honey pot. It's a small penalty though.

Happy house hunting!

Idrigehay – theres fack all there and thats why its great!

If I had to pick a town I'd go for Wirksworth over Belper, Ashbourne or Matlock – it's on the up (No I don't live there).

Wirksworth does always seem jolly nice when I go there. No train station though, which if you drive is less of a pain, but the train is jolly useful for people coming to visit us, and for when I go down to London for work – almost exactly 2 hours to London. Does it have a supermarket either?

Joe

Steady Joemarshall – don't go there, it's got Kens Supermarket

It's a legend so don't dis' it, and it's worth the big pic 😉

You used to get your head kicked in for looking at the sky the wrong way in Wusser (Wirksworth). It still has it's hoolies, but is a lot better now.

Belper tram museum.

Went there on a school trip when I was 7.
That's all I know.

Sorry…as you were!! 8)

That'll be Crich Tram Museum 😉

but is a lot better now.

…aye – I think its officially the sandal wearing capital of the White Peak now!

smell-it – haven't you got a picture of Top Ken's? – Thats where all the treasures are kept!!