World of the Worker's: Strutt Community Tour

New for 2025! Get the opportunity to see inside one of the earliest surviving examples of a Cluster House. Built in the early 1800's by William Strutt for his workers, the present owner has kindly opened her house to our customers on this Walk. As a special treat, we've also arranged access into the Unitarian Chapel, which was built by Jedediah Strutt in 1788 and remains much unaltered. Not to be missed!

The Community, built from 1785 onwards to house the workers in the Strutt family cotton spinning mills is considered to be the oldest surviving textile workers’ community in England – in Belper, the oldest cotton spinning town in the world. It is just a short walk to the mills, a route that the workers would have taken six days a week for their 12-hour working day. Investigate the Short Rows, walk up Long Row hearing the stories of the Community and its residents. See for yourself why Long Row is once seen and never forgotten. Why did the Strutt family need to build so many houses? What did the children do? What did their mothers and fathers do? Visit the Unitarian Chapel learning about Jedediah Strutt, the founder of the Strutt family cotton empire and the role that Unitarianism played in the Industrial Revolution. Nailers, framework knitters, cheviners and navvies all feature in the history of the Community. Hear what part they played in the growth of Belper and how the Strutts transformed the lives of their mill workers and the nailing hamlet of Belper into a thriving hub of the emerging cotton textile industry.

Please note: some streets in this older part of Belper are steep and uneven.

Adults £7.50 with accompanied under 16s free. Book online via our website www.belpernorthmill.org.uk/calendar

Please note that unfortunately dogs are not welcome on this walk.

You may also like the following events from Belper North Mill:

• This Sunday, 10th August, 02:00 pm, Belper Ghost Walk in Belper
• This month, 28th August, 06:00 pm, Tales of the Nightwatchman Heritage Walk in Belper
• Next month, 2nd September, 01:30 pm, A Twist in the Tale: Belper Ropemakers Heritage Walk in Belper