There are lots of parks, gardens and open spaces in many Peak District villages which have played an important role in the lives of millions of people during their leisure time. Such facilities were most often created in the 19th century and Derbyshire towns are really highly representative of this idea and Belper can boast a very prominent recreational site, called the River Gardens.
The town is famously more or less owned by the Strutt family, who also developed the idea of the public gardens. Long before George Herbert Strutt developed them, his great uncle Joseph Strutt donated the Arboretum to Derby and promoted its use in the 1840s.
By 1905. the family had sold on their businesses to the English sewing cotton company and on 15 February, George Strutt was approached by a deputation who wanted him to allow them to use the river above the weir for recreational boating. Thankfully, he agreed and the Belper Boating Association was formed. On 4 April that year, the Strutts granted land for a boat house and gave boating rights to the Association for a three-mile stretch all of the mill weir.
The boat house was built on an island on the east bank of the river, which was used for growing a type of willow tree to make baskets for use in the mills. The land was previously known as Pickles Meadow, and the landing stage was created and paths made through the willow trees. The opening took place in Wakes Week on 4 July 1905 with George Strutt performing the opening ceremony for a Grand Water Carnival in front of 2 1/2 thousand people.Swimming, boating races and music from the band and a decorated boating competition followed and the number of boats far higher was raised to 16.
From then, the boating area became a great success, attracting far more people than had been anticipated. The river was dredged creating a wider pool of boating and a larger landmass of the public to use and it was decided this land would be converted into a formal water gardens, similar to those of Battersea Gardens in London. Strutt paid for all this work, including an improved entrance, new formal footpaths, landscape and a platform used by musicians. There was also a refreshment building made permanent, and a promenade at the water’s edge where seats were provided and stick arches were created, planted with climbing red roses. Lots of other plants such as conifers, rhododendrons, cherries and azaleas were also planted. The new tea room was made available in a Swiss style by the architects Hunter and Woodhouse, the T-shaped black-and-white timber framed building with a roof hanging over the front veranda, thatched with heather to emulate the crofts on Strutt’s Scottish estate.
When the newly named River Gardens were opened on Easter Monday, 16 April 1986 and over 6000 people attending each paying a shilling entrance fee. Due to the set success of the boating, George Strutt provided an experienced boatman to look after the boats, John MacArthur, from the Isle of Skye to do the work. He was the great-great-grandfather of Dame Ellen MacArthur.
Lots more landscaping continued through the 1900s, the promenade was widened and further dredging took place to provide extra acres of space the visitors. A Fountain and rock work Paul was an attractive addition to the promenade area and a new entrance was created from Matlock Road, an arch high above the gardens from which is it is would have an initial overview of the site before they descended by a sloping ramp to the rustic bridge at the southern end of the water channel.
The greenhouse was also added to the southern end of the site, close to the boathouse for the growing of bedding plants and a shelter built for the boatmen who issued tickets for boat hire over 8000 visitors turned out for the reopening in 1907 and the need for a second refreshment centre had been proven.
During the First World War the gardens were adapted for use as allotments and work continued to be used for entertainment after the war. Lots of owners had the gardens after this, and eventually the Amber Valley District Council cared for the River Gardens and has done ever since. Interest in the gardens is always increasing, and it now has a 15 seater pleasure boat offering rides and the town is well dressing festival is based in the gardens as well.
Belper River Gardens are really a beautiful little area in a very busy bustling town but a great place to get away from it all and simply messing about in boats.