Tapton Lock Visitor Centre

Listen to the latest blog from our partners at the Trans Pennine Trail office, giving an insight into the work they at the National Office.

Trans Pennine Trail Podcast by Trans Pennine Trail

Tapton Lock Visitor Centre on the Chesterfield Canal -👀 How we've changed! The first photo taken in 1978 and the second one, just a little bit more recently 😉

Volunteers from Butterfly Conservation regularly survey at Pleasley Pit Country Park to collect valuable data. For more info about the work they do, take a look at their pages.
We love to see the fantastic photos they take. Do you have any you'd like to share?

https://ow.ly/PMvV50SElUy

Do you like walking? Walk Derbyshire are looking for volunteers in north east Derbyshire. Have a look at their short YouTube video to find out more.
https://ow.ly/66On50SFesR
Get in touch with them at [email protected]

Apologies, our visitor centre at Tapton Lock on the Chesterfield Canal is closed today, Friday 19 July.
The public toilets will be open as normal.

Our friends at Junction Arts are invite you along to their second children's festival in Queens Park on 27 and 28 July. Get the date in your diary, it is one not to be missed.

Do you use the Trans Pennine Trial locally? The TPT in our area includes the Chesterfield Canal towpath, the trail from Staveley to Killamarsh plus bridle link along the 'Arkwright Line' from Staveley towards Chesterfield through West Wood.
Our friends at the TPT office would like to know what you think about it. You can scan the QR code to take you to the survey or click here https://forms.office.com/e/fJwVhBH6Ka
The survey will be open from Friday 12th July 2024 to Friday 13th September 2024.

Sorry, our telephones here at Tapton Lock Visitor Centre are down.
Temporarily, you should be able to reach us on 01629 537289.
Hopefully we'll be back up and ringing before too long.

Free Summer Activity Pack for Kids
The School holidays are almost upon us and our friends at HQ have been busy pulling together a Kids' Summer Holiday Activity pack which is available now to download from the website

It's full of fun activities to keep your children busy in and outside the house over the long holiday period, and includes activities to build a bug hotel for the garden, make ice lollies, celebrate the Olympics with some Woodland Olympic activities and make a poster to celebrate the TPT's 35th anniversary.

It can be used on the go or you can print at home. And if you have trouble printing or accessing the pack please let us know. Download it now, at: https://ow.ly/JP5450SAqGY

The Canal & River Trust are asking us all the 'Share the space, drop the pace'
It is their campaign to promote the Towpath Code - a common-sense guide to considerately sharing the towpath with other people, pets and wildlife.
Our towpaths are more popular now, than ever before and we should all take care to share, so please stay kind and slow down.
https://ow.ly/Gj1M50SzzrA

Are you ready? The Big Butterfly Count starts today! Join Butterfly Conservation and be a citizen scientist. Download an ID chart, or their app. Find a nice spot to sit for 15 minutes and simply count what you see 👀🦋

https://ow.ly/ALB750SyQyX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2bd5yneCAo
Our partners at the Trans Pennine Trail office share a monthly compilation of the brilliant pics they receive of folks using the trail. Take a look, if you've got a minute, and if you have photos you are happy to share of friends and family using our Derbyshire sections of trail then send them on to [email protected]

June 2024 TPT User Video Our June video features ice cream on the beach, sunshine, lots of smiles, Trail users, volunteers and Birthday buns.Thanks to all our contributors who have o...

Congratulations to the England men's team last night!
We think they were inspired by Teddy's pictures on our colouring wall 😂
Perhaps next time you are in the visitor centre, Teddy, you could do Owlie Watkins for us 😉
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It seems a while since the Chesterfield Area Walking Festival in May! One of our partners from Walk Derbyshire has shared this short piece about their Introduction to Netwalking walk led for the festival. Have a look and see if there is anyway to introduce walking meetings into your workplace.

Introduction to Netwalking session- Chesterfield Walking Festival. Walk Derbyshire and Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire hosted an 'Introduction to Netwalking' session as part of the Chesterfield Walking Festival. The circular walk on Tuesday 14 May started at The Hub @ Low Pavement in Chesterfield with the route taking in Queen’s Park and part of the Chesterfield Ar...

This pretty little meadow flower is commonly known as Eyebright or Eyewort and is said to have been used to treat eye disorders.
Euphrasia, the scientific name, comes from the Greek for gladness and it is a joyful flower.

It is the perfect time of year to spot these beauties! One of the loveliest and most recognised of all our native orchids. The bee orchid flower mimics a female bee to attract the male bee and pollinate the flower. Our UK orchids are self-pollinating as we don't have the right species of bee.
It is an opportunistic species that can be quick to colonise disturbed habitats such as spoil heaps. Our ex-colliery sites are perfect for them.
Visit Pleasley Pit Country Park, or Poulters and you're almost certain to spot them.

Cara Callingham shared these fantastic photos, taken a couple of years ago, of the meadows at the Tibshelf end of the Five Pits Trail.
They really are beautiful, thank you for sharing Cara.

Grasses and sedges left unmown produce flowers and seeds that are important for many insects and birds. These meadow areas will be cut later in the year, with paths mown through for walkers.

The cutest visitors this morning at Tapton Lock on the Chesterfield Canal.

Red clover - the bees love it 🐝
Common in roadside verges, country parks and along our trails.

Apologies, the visitor centre at Tapton Lock is closed today (Friday 21 June), for staff annual leave. The public toilets are open and the visitor centre will be open again as usual from 10am tomorrow.

Great resource for the small people in your life 😍

Quack, Quack, take two steps back! 🦆
Even very young children can learn about water safety. Read our online story book to your little ones and help them
Read the book here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/56rwyd28
Proud to support Royal Life Saving Society UK - RLSS UK

Our friends at the Trans Pennine Trail have just shared their new user code.

They say 'We want everyone to be safe and happy and it is important that the route caters for different needs. We hope everyone enjoys their experience on the Trans Pennine Trail and we ask people to be considerate and respectful and SHARE WITH CARE.'

You can find the full user code here https://ow.ly/zYwK50SiQ6Y and we all just need to remember - it's nice to be nice!

Ready to pedal through picturesque trails? Hire a bike from Middleton Top Cycle Hire during the week and enjoy a FREE hot drink on us!
Whether you're a seasoned cyclist or just looking for a scenic ride, our bikes will get you rolling. And after your ride, warm up with a delicious hot beverage – our treat!
Don't miss out! Book your midweek cycling adventure now and make your weekdays extraordinary.
Offer valid Monday to Friday until 19th July 2024. Beverage up to the value of £2.60

Wordsworth might have seen a host of golden daffodils, we have carpets of buttercups dazzling in the sunshine. Let's celebrate and value the ordinary as well as those rarer flowers we see on our nature reserves and country parks.
How many of you, as a child, checked to see if you liked butter?

We are getting reports of Giant Hogweed, which when we investigate is often Common Hogweed. So here are a few tips to help you tell the difference.

Whilst Common Hogweed can grow up to 6ft / 2m tall, Giant Hogweed grows much taller, up to 5m.
The leaves on Giant Hogweed are divided, angular and pointy and are hairless. Common Hogweed leaves are rounder and downy, slightly hairy.
Giant Hogweed flowers in June / July and the flower heads are up to 50cm / 15 inches across. Common Hogweed flowers from May to August and are a lot smaller, around 20cm / 8 inches.
The stem of Giant Hogweed is green with distinctive purple blotches, whilst Common Hogweed is usually green.

Signs of summer - Dog Rose usually flowers late May / early June and the flowers are an important nectar source for insects. Later in the year the birds enjoy the fruits.
You'll find it in hedgerows and woodland edges across our country parks and trails.

Common bird's-foot-trefoil is known by a variety of other names. Locally (in Derbyshire) 'eggs and bacon' is often used.
What do you call this lovely little summer flower?