A Trip to Chesterfield
Grandad time!
It’s a fair old trip for Mrs M and I to make to see our daughter, son-in-law and four-year-old grandson, Albie. It’s around 180 miles each way, made a little easier (sometimes) by driving mostly on motorways, four in total. For those of you who like such facts, that is the M4, M5, M42 and M1. Occasionally, the M42 is replaced by the M6 when traffic conditions trigger Waze to warn me of delays.
Chesterfield is a historic market town with a rich industrial heritage. It is probably most well-known for the crooked spire of the church, which can be seen from many miles away. The area was once surrounded by productive coal mines providing the fuel to burn in the furnaces and kilns. Although coal has long gone, there seems to be plenty of businesses in place of the former engineering, potteries and other factories built on the black stuff.
I am looking forward to discovering more of the history of the town when Chesterfield’s museum opens after a major refurbishment. When that happens, I will be in there as soon as a visit permits.
The town, like many, is suffering from out-of-town stores taking business away from the town centre. Chesterfield was once a town with large retail stores in the town centre, such as Marks & Spencer that are now in retail parks with their large car parks and free parking.
Money is being spent on the town to improve the outcome, and hopefully, that will attract more businesses into the town centre. As I strolled around, I noticed some good quality independent shops, and that was good to see. More of us now prefer to spend our hard-earned pounds with an independent business, especially ones that offer good service.
On a previous visit, I explored the route of Chesterfield’s lost racecourse. I will add the video below.
One major advantage when visiting Chesterfield is its close proximity to the Peak District National Park. There is spectacular scenery and many beautiful towns and villages lie within it. It’s a great place if you love the wild and not-so-wild outdoors.
Look out for more stories under then new name of Roland’s Journal. I hope you like the name change!