Click to download the Rivers of Life tour

As part of this year’s Heritage Open Day’s DCRT have teamed up with Spital Cemetery for ‘Rivers of Life’ – a self-guided riverside trail exploring the hidden natural and industrial heritage of Chesterfield.

Follow the trail along the river to Spital Cemetery where you can find and uncover the secrets of this special place.
During the first section of this walk follow the river Hipper and discover how the people of Chesterfield used the power of rivers to fuel industry and expand trade, allowing Chesterfield to grow into an industrious and bustling market town. Learn how the river recovered from years of industry and pollution, now a vital urban corridor for nature. For the second part of the tour, continue the trail into Spital Cemetery and find the final resting place of the families that traded alongside the river during the industrial revolution, creating goods that were used across the nation and world. Find and identify the symbolic flowers, plants and trees carved into Victorian gravestones, and interpret their hidden meanings. Look for signs of birds, bats and mini-beasts hiding amongst the cemetery’s veteran trees and rich habitats.

Safety on your self-guided tour:

• The trail around the cemetery can be uneven or slippery so wear sturdy footwear and take care.
• Paths can be narrow in places, please take care to follow social distancing guidelines and be aware of other footpath users
• Make sure to take your medicine, food & water, face-mask and hand-gel with you
• Use the pedestrian crossings where available and stay within the footpath boundaries
• In the cemetery do not lean on the gravestones or monuments. If you have smaller children with you, be wary of falling monuments and keep a safe distance when observing the stones.

Extra Info:

• Dogs are welcome but please keep on a lead and dispose of their waste in the dog bins, located at both entrances to the Cemetery
• The nearest public conveniences are at the station, 10 minutes walk away.
• Parking at Ravenside Retail Park is limited to customers only. If driving please use nearby pay & display car parks.

For more info: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/rivers-of-life-self-guided-tour
To download the map: https://dcrt.org.uk/downloads

DCRT are teaming up with the University of Sheffield for this year’s Festival of the Mind, which runs between the 17th and 27th September.
Join Sheffield’s creative and digital community for a celebration of ideas, culture and collaboration!

Look out for our Salmon of Steel sculpture, created by local artist Jason Heppenstall and our self-guided tour of the river Don with a beautiful, digital map and podcast to guide you!