Ripley is named as Finalist in Tourism Awards

The town of Ripley, in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire, has been named as a finalist in the Places to Visit tourism awards for 2017. Situated just 9 miles North of Derby it is easily accessible by car or public transport.

Beating off stiff competition from neighbouring towns such as Belper, Heanor and Alfreton, Ripley has set a new high standard in how a town should be.

From a shopping perspective there is a wide range of shops on the High Street. From beauty salons to frozen food supermarkets, shoppers in Ripley are left with no need to shop elsewhere.

There are pleasant, well maintained parks if you can steal yourself away from the shops, which see a variety of activities throughout the year. These include music festivals, fayres and sporting events.

Ripley boasts several pubs and night clubs that range from micro brewery real ale bars to late night discotheques that keep you boogying through the night.

Peckish? Look no further than Ripley's wide range of take-away food shops and restaurants that cater for all your tastes.

Home of the Midland Railway Centre, you can travel on steam trains, visit the train museum and meet the likes of Thomas the Tank Engine when he's in town. There's also an annual music festival held there called Indie Tracks, featuring both now and established bands.

Ripley is also only a stone's throw away from the beautiful Peak District and offers regular bus services that take you out and about into the countryside. Another notable place nearby is the village of Pentrich, known for it's revolution, or uprising, in 1817. There are celebrations planned for 2017 with it being 200 years since the events.

One notable person with a connection to Ripley is Sir Barnes Wallis, who was born there in 1887. He is most commonly known for inventing the bouncing bomb that was used in the Dam Buster raids in Germany in the Second World War.

As well as having long connections with coal and iron mining industries over the centuries, it was in the 18th century when the town was firmly placed on the map. Benjamin Outram created the Butterley Ironworks in 1790. Amongst many commissions over the years, the cast iron roof for London's St Pancras station was made there, as was iron work for early iron steam ships including HMS Warrior. The original factory still stands but is no longer used.

Ripley is also the home of the Derbyshire Police Force and Derbyshire Fire Service.

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