Amber Valley

Amber Valley is a local government district in Derbyshire, named for the River Amber that runs through it. Towns such as Belper, Ripley, Alfreton and Heanor sit along river corridors and former industrial routes. Parts of Belper lie within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, where Strutt’s mills and long rows of workers’ houses follow the River Derwent and speak to the area’s 18th- and 19th-century textile economy. Ambergate marks the point where the Amber meets the Derwent and retains railway and canal-era features linked to that history.

The district combines town centres, former mining settlements and surrounding farmland. Rail and road connections link Amber Valley to Derby and Nottingham, while preserved sites such as the Midland Railway – Butterley reflect local engineering and transport heritage. Smaller villages around the towns maintain parish structure and community facilities, and the district’s edges give way to the lower slopes that lead toward the Peak District foothills. Local planning balances conservation of industrial sites with ongoing housing and business needs.