Heanor
Heanor lies in the county of Derbyshire in the East Midlands region of England. It is based in the area’s Amber Valley and stands a few miles to the north east of Derby. It is thought that Heanor’s position high on a hill would have made it an attractive position for ancient settlers.
The town was referred to in the Domesday Book of the 11th century in tandem with some other local towns and villages such as Codnor and Langley. Today’s Heanor is closely connected to Langley Mill. The town was once a significant market town in the county.
Heanor, from an industrial perspective, was best known for its coal and iron ore mining and textile businesses. During the Industrial Revolution the arrival of canal and railway networks brought some prosperity to the area by improving its communications and transport links. The town grew at this time as more people moved to the area to work in its local industries. At one point in the middle of the 20th century around 60% of people in Heanor worked either in the textile factories or in the mines. Following the decline of these industries the Heanor Gate Industrial Estate was constructed to try and bring in new industries to the town.
Heanor is also well known as the home of the world famous Matthew Walker Christmas Pudding factory. The company started making their puddings in the late 19th century and are held to be the biggest and oldest manufacturer of this kind of product on a global basis. The company’s factory is based at Heanor Gate Industrial Estate.
Heanor is also well known locally for the hair-raising tram ride that passed through the town in the early 20th century. Known as the Ripley Rattler, the tram line here was once thought to be the most dangerous tram ride in the country and the longest line in the world as it stretched for 11 miles from Ripley to Nottingham.
The main visitor attraction in Heanor today is the Shipley Country Park. This park is partly made up of reclaimed mining land and the land, lake, hill and woods that once belonged to Shipley Hall which stood on this site. Shipley Hall itself was built in the 18th century. The park extends for around 600 acres and has 18 miles of footpaths and walks and visitors can hire a bike if they wish to go round the park. The site was also once home to a theme park, The American Adventure, which was hailed as being the next Alton Towers. The theme park, however, closed down relatively quickly.
Walkers often also take on the Heanor Walk which lasts for around four miles. The walk is based around much of Shipley Country Park and also takes in the Mapperley Reservoir and John Wood. The St Lawrence Church in the town is also worth a visit. The church here is predominantly 19th century but some elements of the original 12th century building and 15th century tower can still be seen. Many visitors also enjoy a visit to nearby Langley Mill which is home to the River Erewash and the area’s canal basin.
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