Lost Histories of Belper: Hidden Catacombs, Victorian Voices & the Strutt Legacy.

“Lost Histories of Belper” is a captivating documentary from Lost Histories, uncovering the forgotten voices, hidden places and remarkable heritage of Belper, Derbyshire. At its heart is an extraordinary poem written in 1850 by local poet Thomas Crofts, offering a rare, personal glimpse of Victorian Belper through the eyes of someone who knew its streets, people, and changing industrial landscape. His words are brought to life through atmospheric footage filmed across the town, from its historic centre and industrial heritage to quieter places where traces of the past still remain. The documentary also includes an interview with Mary Smedley, Secretary of the Belper Historical Society, whose knowledge and insight help place the town’s people, buildings and industrial legacy within their wider historical context. The film’s centrepiece is a rare glimpse inside the Strutt Catacombs, the mysterious underground chambers beneath the Unitarian Chapel on Field Row. Closely connected with