The purpose of this site is to provide useful, important and interesting news, information and insight for residents and visitors, with the hope of enriching the life of the village, and the aim of bringing our community closer together.  If you have any information you’d like to add to the website or updates you’d like to make, please contact the webmasters (click ‘contact’ tab above).

Greenspace Christmas Fuddle at 2pm today cancelled due to wind and rain.

Christmas Fayre at The William a great success

Despite the foul weather, the Christmas Fayre at The William on the 7th December 2024 was a great success. 

For more detail and pictures, see the article here.

For those interested, there is another community event in The William – carol singing on Sunday 15th December 4pm – 6pm. No talent needed, just enthusiasm. Music provided by Alan Squires, singing by Janie and Stuart Marshall.

Milford Mills Development – December Update

In October’s report (see here) we noted there was renewed activity on site. Since then Wavensmere are moving at some speed with their development of 69 dwellings, and have received a £15m loan to do so (see here – picture excellent to give an idea of the layout and size of the new houses, but the article writers are clearly not from round here – note our new seaside location!) Drainage engineers are putting in surface drainage, sewer pipes and manholes at present, and the stone retaining wall at the back of the school is being repaired. The first houses will be built in March 2025.

Chevin Homes have sold the old Pattern House next to Chevin Alley to the company that owns the bridal shop in Duffield and it will be some form of an outlet shop for bridal wear. The former Dye House, as previously reported, is the subject of a planning application for a veterinary surgery (replacing Riverside Veterinary on Goods Road in Belper). If that is obtained they will lease the building from Chevin Homes. Again, as previously reported, Chevin Homes got planning consent for an indoor cricket facility on waste land at the back of the school but, due to rising costs, found it cheaper to take on the former Tumbling Tots building by Belper North Mill. So they are now offering that land for sale and that will include the chimney and its liabilities (see Rightmove advert here).

Milford wins Gold in Britain in Bloom

It’s been an incredible year for Milford for “in Bloom” and gardening awards. In July they won the Belper Town Council environmentally friendly gardening awards for the Greenspace and the riverside in Hopping Mill Meadow and in September, a Gold in the Village category in the regional East Midlands in Bloom awards. The icing on the cake for the village occurred on the 21st October at Old Trafford in the national Britain in Bloom awards though, where Milford received a Gold award in the village category – an amazing achievement. But probably even more gratifying was the additional award by the Britain in Bloom judges for Outstanding Volunteer Involvement – for this Milford got more points than anyone else in the country, and it reflects the huge efforts all the volunteers in the village put in. The judges were impressed that such a small village could achieve so much.

Thanks should also go to Belper Town Council at this point for their lovely displays in planters and hanging baskets throughout the village and all the watering and removal of green waste they do. Without them the village would not have got the EMIB or BIB awards.

Full comments from the BIB judges, with suggestions for the future, can be seen here. BIB judges comments

For a more detailed account of all the preparations involved and all the other awards, see here.

Milford Apple Day Success

The annual Milford Apple Day on the Greenspace on Saturday 12th October was a great success. Details can be found in the article here.

 

Planning Application for Children’s Home at Makeney Coach House and Gate House – October update

In August we reported a planning application had been submitted for change of use at The Coach House and The Gate House in Makeney from C3 dwelling house to C2 children’s home (may affect the setting of a listed building and character and appearance of the Conservation Area).

The Coach House and The Gate House are the historic Strutt buildings centrally located on Makeney Road opposite Makeney Hall Hotel and are currently used as a holiday let.

The application would accommodate a total of 8 children or young adults of ages 10-18 across the houses, with 16 staff working a 24 hour shift pattern.

Further details can be found at the Amber Valley Borough Council website here under application number AVA/2024/0425.

Comments/objections can be filed and so far there have been 57 objections, including one from Belper Town Council on 2nd October 2024, which can be seen here. BTC Response 2 Oct 2024

A group of concerned residents has been formed and can be contacted on makeneygroup@outlook.com

Harvest Sale in The William a great success

Bridge View Allotments Ltd held a very successful Harvest Sale in The William on 5th October 2024. 

As well as selling produce from their allotments, allotment holders made jams, chutneys, cakes and pies from produce from their allotments and gardens for sale. There was also a flapjack competition, plants for sale from their gardens, lavender wreaths and hand-made bird boxes. There was also a children’s crafting table creating beautiful toadstools. Over £480 pounds was raised, which will be used the help maintain the walls and drainage in the allotments. More photos in the Facebook article below.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/hYEg2pUaSSCiW7Vh/

Bridge View Allotments would like to say a huge thank you to The William pub in Milford, which as well as hosting the event, provided free tea and coffee and supplied bacon and sausage cobs (donations for those also went to the allotments fund).

Watch this space for details of the forthcoming Christmas Sale on the 7th December in The William!

 

Derwent Valley Mills Exhibition at Milford Social Club this weekend Sept 21/22

The touring exhibition of photos from the first ever photo book of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site has come to Milford Social Club. Two of the giant boards are in the entrance, with the other six in the bar area. ‘Art meets ale – my kind of place’ says Ashley Franklin, who created the 228-page hardback book. Ashley will be in attendance over the weekend – Saturday and Sunday Sept 21st and 22nd from 12 noon. 

Thank you to the 10 people who turned up for a free talk about the making of the book.

The book will also be on sale. Scroll down this page to read all about it…

First Flower and Produce Show in 30 years a success

The Milford & Makeney Flower and Produce Show took place in Milford Social Club on 14th September 2024, the first such event to be held in the village for 30 years.

There were 27 entrants and over 100 entries and it was judged by the organisers to have been a success.

Next year they plan to build on this and encourage more entries and broaden the number of categories. For a more detailed write up of the event and more pictures, see here. Do come along to the Bridge View Allotments Harvest Sale on 5th October (see here for details) and the Chris Ring Apple Day on 13th October (see here for details.)

Milford featured in ‘remarkable’ photo book of the Derwent Valley Mills Heritage Site

The first ever photo book to celebrate the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage
Site – authored by Milford photographer Ashley Franklin – has been hailed ‘a remarkable project celebrating a remarkable landscape’ in Outdoor Photography, the UK’s premier photography magazine. 

Published last December, the 228-page hardback book sold 500 copies in its first 10 weeks. Currently over 600 copies have been sold. Milford features in nearly 50 of the 477 images.

Initially commissioned in 2014 by the Arkwright Society during his tenure as their official photographer, Ashley’s project took flight in 2019 when Ian joined forces and together they invited additional photographers to participate. Divided into three thematic sections—Industrial Heritage, People & Places, and Wildlife—this photo book
encapsulates the valley’s historical significance, its communities, and its rich biodiversity.

To read more about the book and see locally-taken images, click here

 

Milford House enters into spirit of “In Bloom”

Donna Stanton, senior nurse at the Milford House care home, on hearing that Milford had been entered into the Britain in Bloom competition, was inspired to have Milford House be part of it.

Over three months the large raised bed gardens there were cleared and then planted up with flowers and vegetables, with the help of the residents.

For a more detailed report and a video showing the whole garden in all its glory, see here.

 

Milford & Makeney May Day celebrations

Another successful and fun filled May Day procession took place in Milford & Makeney on Saturday 11th May 2024. Helped by lovely weather, large crowds gathered at all 3 venues (The Holly Bush, The Elephant & Peacock and Milford School).

For more photos and a more detailed report of the day, see the article here.

A momentous 4 months for Bridge View Allotments

In the past 4 months the Bridge View Allotments association have accepted an offer from the current allotment landowners, The Strutt Estate, to gift the land to the association and turned themselves into a co-op, Bridge View Allotments Ltd. They are at present raising the funds needed for the legal fees for the land transfer, starting with a very successful plants stall at the Belper Plant Market on 12th May.

Meanwhile in April, after 3 months work, they installed a large water collection station which will provide 4000 litres/888 gallons of rainwater for the allotment holders to use.

For more details see the article here and the allotments website here and also details as to how you can contribute to the fund for the legal fees for the land transfer.

Hello Velo!

Come along to the Grand Opening of Milford’s new cycle shop, Velo Bavarian (VB) in the former Co-op/Just Ice building on the A6, on Saturday March 9 10.00 until 4.00. Come for a look round, meet the VB team, Matt, Luke and Jimmy and visiting cycle suppliers. Cycle (and car) park entrance on Foundry Lane.

For more photos and the history of Velo Bavarian from when it was first set up in its former home on the A6 in Flaxholme, Duffield, see here.

Milford and Makeney Flower & Produce Show

As a reminder, this will be held on the 14th September 2024 in Milford Social Club. Full details of categories and prizes, plus entry forms, and are now available on the Flower and Produce web page here.

CHILDREN’S CATEGORIES ALSO, WITH FREE SUNFLOWER SEEDS AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN

GET SOWING AND GROWING READY FOR SEPTEMBER 2024!

Allotments cleared on Bridge View

The Bridge View Allotment Association has continued its programme, starting last year, of clearing overgrown allotments and offering them to new tenants. 

Two large parties of volunteers have cleared two very overgrown allotments over the 19th and 20th January – for more details and photos see the article here.

These allotments have now been split into four half allotments, but these have all now been taken. There will be other allotments coming up for rent in the future though, so please e-mail Carol Hawley at chawley79@gmail.com if you want to be added to the waiting list. To apply you must live within 5 miles of the former Holy Trinity Church just below the allotments.

Wassailing at the Thistlefields Orchard 14th January

As ever, there was a good turnout, of over 50 people, to the wassailing of the Holly Bush’s Thistlefield Orchard  on the 14th January 2024. See here for more details.

 

Christmas Star finds new home

The Christmas Star, fabricated by the Milford Craft Group, was displayed on The Triangle in 2021 and The Baptist Church in 2022. This year it has been erected on the Greenspace by the Craft volunteers and the Forest School children. The Greenspace will be its final home.

The Greenspace also had its annual Christmas gathering on the 17th December at 2pm, with mince pies, children’s crafts & hot chocolate, with a great turnout (see report here).

Christmas wreath workshop a great success

The Christmas Wreath Workshop, now in it’s second year, held at Milford Baptist Church on the afternoon of 1st December, was another great success with over 50 people attending.  Generous donations raised £200 for Hope for Belper.

BBC Radio 2’s Vernon Kay runs through Milford for Children In Need

As part of his challenge to run the 115 miles from Leicester to his home town Bolton in just 4 days (see here for details) in order to raise funds for Children In Need, BBC Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay ran through Milford on his second day. Crowds gathered on the A6 at 9.45am on the 15th November 2023 and at 9.55 Vernon, and his entourage of well wishers running along with him, went past and then sped up Chevin Road. The picture below (from the Derby Evening Telegraph) is as he passed Milford School on Chevin Road.

The video below was taken as he went past Bank Buildings.

He was remarkably chipper at the time, but this was the longest day of the four, at 40 miles, and he was considerably more tired when he arrived at Hope in the evening. For more pictures of his day, see the Derby Evening Telegraph article here.

Big Milford Bulb Plant 11th November 2023

After a mail drop round the village, many volunteers turned up on a beautiful sunny day to plant up the front bed of The Triangle community garden on the junction of the A6 and Chevin Road with 2200 bulbs. These should give a beautiful display all year round. See here for a much more detailed report.

This is Blooming Milford’s biggest project this year. For more details of what Blooming Milford has been up to since July, see their latest update, here.

Milford Community Greenspace – November update

Since our last report in July we have completed The Peace Garden, made plans for a new water collection facility and had very successful Apple Day and Bonfire Night events on the site.

Forest Schools continue to be run on the site and the regular Monday volunteers continue to diligently do their planting, harvesting, chicken care, weeding, composting, laying of chip bark paths and tidying to keep the Greenspace shipshape and welcoming for the users. For the full update since July, see the article here.

Floods hit Milford again

For the third time in 4 years, on 21st October 2023 the Derwent burst its banks in Milford, after 33 hours and 5.4″ (137 mm) of rain. In comparison to the previous recent floods the flood levels were not quite as high – this time Duffield and Belper suffered more – but the A6 between Moscow Farm and Milford was closed by floodwater for some time and there was considerable disruption for many.

For more photos, see here.

Clean sweep for Milford – Four Gold awards in the East Midlands in Bloom competition

As in 2021 and 2022 Milford entered the East Midlands in Bloom (EMIB) competition this year and was judged on Wednesday 5th July. 

For a more detailed write up of the efforts of Blooming Milford, Belper Town Council and local residents in getting the village ready for the 5th July, see here. For a write up of Blooming Milford’s other activities in the village since October 2022 see here.

We finally found out how Milford had done in the competition in the EMIB award ceremony, on Wednesday 20th September in Spalding, Lincolnshire. There was very good news – the whole village got a Gold award (86/100), same as 2021 and better than the Silver Gilt award of 2022. Special praise was given to The Greenspace, the riverside path in Hopping Mill Meadow and the gardens of Millers Way, and Kate Tuck, Chair of the Greenspace, got a Judges Award for her vision and hard work in making The Greenspace happen. Meanwhile, in all three of the individual categories entered (best commercial premises (Milford Social Club); best front garden (The Old Bike Shop on the A6) and best pub (The Holly Bush)) Gold awards were given too – so a clean sweep for Milford! It should also be mentioned that Belper got a Gold award too, and without the help of Belper Town Council neither Milford nor Belper would have got their awards.

Milford Community Greenspace – July update

Read the latest update here – follow the creation of the Peace Garden, preparations for East Midlands in Bloom judging and a write up of the successful Open Day on the 2nd July.

Community History Day at Milford School on the 1st July

A day of activities at Milford School for visitors to discover the history of Milford school and the village was organised by the school, Belper Historical Society and volunteers from the Belper North Mill education team on the 1st July at the school. Proceeds from donations went towards the rebuilding of the stone wall bounding the playground.

For more photos and details of the days events, see article here.

New Interpretation Panels and Information Points installed across Milford & Makeney

In a major new initiative by Derwent Valley Mills/Belper Historical Society (The Great Places Scheme Wayfaring Project) this June, you can now do your own historical tour round the village. All the old historical Interpretation Panels have been replaced with 5 new ones. 

In addition 10 Information Points have been added at sites of particular historical interest, indicated by red water wheels. At these points you can get more information on your phone using the QR code under the water wheel. You can also gain this information by looking at the website Milford – Derwent Valley Mills

A map of the location of all the Interpretation Panels and Information Points in Milford & Makeney can be found here. 

As part of this initiative, new information on the original use of The Tower on Sunny Hill has been included. Thought The Tower was built as a siting or semaphore tower? Think again! See here for details.

Milford Mills Development – June news

Planning application for an indoor cricket facility on the site approved

Chevin Homes’ application (Go to Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) website here and insert this application number AVA/2022/0371), for an indoor cricket club to be built on the site, was considered by the planning board for Amber Valley on Monday 12th June 2023 and approved unanimously by the councillors of the board – in line with the planning officer’s recommendations. Three people spoke against the planning application:  Ruth Baker (Milford resident) spoke raising her concerns regarding noise, lack of privacy for the residents in the housing development, road safety and parking. Emma Roberts  (headteacher of Milford school) raised safeguarding concerns and parking, and Jamie Walls (local AVBC Councillor) talked about how many people in Milford had contacted him with their concerns and that Milford needed sports facilities for itself – not a niche facility for cricket.  John Fearnehaugh (Chevin Homes) spoke in favour and promised to install secure fencing at the rear of the school at Chevin Home’s expense in response to Emma’s safeguarding concerns.

 

Did Rod ‘Strutt’ his stuff in Milford?

Do you remember live music at the Strutt Arms in the 1960s?  It’s reported that Rod Stewart sang there.  Bryan Bennion has some choice memories of seeing Gary Farr – and even Alan Price of Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear fame.  Read more here

The King William has a QUIZ NIGHT every Wednesday at 9.00 pm and Live Entertainment at 9.00 pm on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays.  

 Milford Social Club has fortnightly Live Entertainment on a Saturday and Sunday: All 9 pm start on Saturday and 3 pm on Sunday (unless specified).  Free admission.  

 

Have a need?  A want?  A sale?

This website has always been a resource where we can help you with a particular appeal. For instance: Do you need a recommendation for a good plumber?Would you like help with sponsorship for a charity? Are you keen to form an activity group within the village? Want to sell some horse manure for the garden? Just go to this page by clicking here and fill in the contact form.  Click here to read about a garden plot to let.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEBSITE

The News & Events box to your left will keep you up to date with what is going on – and coming up! The Menu tabs above open up lots of ‘sub-menus’, extra pages which fall under the main menu headings.  For instance, hold your cursor on the Information tab (or the box to the right) and you will see pages which, with one click, will lead you to information about essential and useful resources provided in the village and beyond e.g. schools, shops, pubs, public footpaths, churches, restaurants, residential homes, places to stay, doctors’ surgeries and MP surgeries, bus times and businesses. The Activities tab will reveal all the organisations and interest groups in the village – everything from Maypole Promotions to the Knit Knatter Club. The History tab mines the area’s rich heritage seam and we hope, in time, to make this area of the website a substantial archive.

Appeal Please let us know if there any inaccuracies to this website.  We would also like to hear from you if you can help in any way to improve the site.  Is there some useful information you can add?  Maybe you run a business or are part of an activity in the village that we ought to know about?  Perhaps you have some reminiscences of Milford and Makeney life along with some old photos?  Here is the webmaster’s email address again: webmaster@milford-makeney.org

With thanks to the Milford & Makeney Community Group for promoting the establishment of this website and to Ashley Franklin and David Moreton for sponsoring and managing the site.