​Over a cuppa in a café Adrian, Sarah and Damion agreed to work together to develop a site in Bolsover that was on the market. After the exchanging of contracts the process of renovating a series of outbuildings, behind what was then The Beehive Café, began.  There were both highs and lows during those early days engaging local builders, plumbers and electricians but with the relevant contracts awarded work to develop Old Bolsover Yard could begin in earnest.

Although still looking like a building site a marquee stood at the bottom of the courtyard with Ethos Upcycling and Molly Felicity Designs showing a glimpse of things to come from our Craft Courtyard. Adrian, Sarah and Damion spent the weekend explaining to all the visitors who came what they were planning to do.

​Phase one of the work was completed in September 2018 when all the buildings were watertight and secure - new roofs, new doors & windows, brickwork pointed, chimney saved from falling down! and lots of other bits and pieces in between too numerous to list.

​To round off 2018 we held our first Christmas Craft Fayre, sadly had to deal with an attempted break in to The Gallery, and plans were well underway for 2019 and The Courtyard Programme planned for every Saturday from April through to August.

.The Courtyard Programme ran from April and featured an Easter Extravaganza, Yarn Shop Day, The Wobbly Bodger, Makers Market, Bolsover Inner Wheel, Ian's Birds of Prey, Bolsover & District U3A, Meet the Makers, Clowne Salvation Army Brass Band, Bolsover WI, Teddy Bears Picnic, Bolsover Art Group, Cake Bonanza, Steelpantastic, Crafternoon, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

The Gallery saw new traders joining with M & E Woodcraft and Scentuals by Charlene who started stocking their products in April. In May Chunky Oak Designs joined the growing number of makers showcasing their work. Later in the year Harriet and Lola's Candles joined us and we said goodbye to Scentuals by Charlene.

Aspire Gates continued our work to develop the site giving our entrance way a makeover with the new archway and wrought iron gates making a really welcoming entrance to visitors to the Craft Courtyard.

​2019 was to become a year tinged with sadness as in July Adrian passed away. Many of you will have met Adrian and be aware of his passion for Old Bolsover Yard and giving something back to the town. Despite his cancer diagnosis Adrian spent his time working hard to bring Old Bolsover Yard back to life. His legacy continues through the work being carried out by Sarah and Damion to continue to develop the yard.

And then came 2020........ it all started so well!
​
Early January the café reopened its doors as after lots of hard work Sally and her team welcomed you to The Coffee Cup. We started planning for another year of special events through The Courtyard Programme and our newly introduced Makers Markets and we also shared some exciting news with you from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We knew that the site of Old Bolsover Yard used to be a Butcher's shop to the front with a slaughterhouse and meat preparation areas to the rear we embarked on uncovering the past to find out more about 'The Butchers of Bolsover'.

Fiver Fest returned in February and through that event Handmade by Helen took a space in our Galley with an array of wonderful crocheted items. 
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Thomas Taylor Historical Ropemaker moved into Old Bolsover Yard taking up the unit that had previosuly been home to Cup and Saucer. Using natural fibres and manuak equipment Thomas recreates the process for making cordage, ropes and nets, useful commodities throughout history. You can find out more by visiting The Ropery where you will often find demonstrations of ropemaking taking place. March also saw the arrival of The Tackle Shop when Rick Wainwright briefly took up residence in Unit 3 before moving to a larger premises in just a few months.

We held our first Show and Tell event for the Heritage Lottery Project to tell you more about our plans for the coming months and see if you had any stories to tell of the history of the yard. Girlguiding also joined us for a fundraising event and the girls were due to get involved with our archaeological dig which was planned for the Summer months. Then the world got hit by a global pandemic with the shock announcement that we had to close as restrictions were placed on non-essential retail as the Government tried to respond to the ever growing crisis.

We were able to briefly reopen through December when Chris Hinch Antiques opened up in Unit 3. Sadly we then had to shut again until April 2021.

Doing our best to make the best of a bad situation the closures allowed us time to work with some amazing local businesses to finish the renovations at Old Bolsover Yard that started way back in April 2018 and also continue to research the history of Old Bolsover Yard through our heritage lottery project which will culminate in an exhibition later in 2021.

Thank you to all of you have helped us and joined us on our journey.
​
Happy Birthday Old Bolsover Yard! 

We challenge you to write a short story in no more than 50 words. You can add pictures if you like.

So what’s the challenge……

It’s super simple.

We have looked back into history and over 150 years ago we know that Old Bolsover Yard was once a butcher’s yard and the Coffee Cup Café was once a butcher’s shop. It has also been other types of workplaces too from a doctors’ surgery to a hairdressers to a taxi firm’s office.

Your challenge is to write about the people who may have lived and worked here. Be as imaginative as you like. To help you, we have given you some information as a starting point.

We know Howard Knighton was a butcher at 2 Castle Street, now known as Old Bolsover Yard, for many years in the early 20th century.
We know when he was born and where, but how did he become a butcher?
We know that the butchers shop remained until 1974, but who were the people who ran it up to then?
What happened to the butchers shop after 1974 up to today?

5 - 7: Winners Prize - £20 Usborne Book Bundle
8-11: Winners Prize - £20 Usborne Book Bundle
11+: Winners Prize - £20 Usborne Book Bundle

Thank you to Jennica Books who will be supplying us with our prize bundles

To enter follow the steps below:
1. Create your short story (50 words maximum)
2. Email your completed submission to [email protected] (please get your adult to do this including your name, number, parents permission to enter and their contact number)
3. Deadline for submissions is 12th April 2021
4. The winners will be announced w/c 19th April 2021 via Old Bolsover Yard social media pages - Instagram and Facebook!

It hasn't been the start to the year we would have wanted with The Gallery and Courtyard currently closed as we navigate our way through another National Lockdown. The businesses which make up our community at OBY are keeping positive and continuing to trade by offering a variety of online shopping options, click and collect services and even local delivery where possible. We've got a dedicated coronavirus update page where you can find out more details about each of our traders offerings and links to their virtual shops. As we are able to start thinking about reopening fully in the coming weeks (hopefully) this will be where you can find any additional information needed to plan your visit.

30th January - 6th February - National Story Telling Week

14th February - Love Local Day, ShopAppy 

With the current uncertainty that small businesses up and down the Country are facing Old Bolsover Yard has joined in with a scheme in the town of Bolsover, along with a number of other small independent businesses, to become part of the ShopAppy community.

Businesses currently involved are: Old Bolsover Yard, Molly Felicity Designs, Ethos Upcycling, Thomas Taylor - Historical Ropemaker, Oven Door, Bolsover Fruit and Veg Shop, Bowring Butchers, Its a Jade Crafts, Forgents & Vogue Fashions, Hill Top Cars, The Pump, Bloom Room, Cornerstone Jewellers, Martins World Travel, Harriet's Hounds, Hill Top Cars, Goddard and White Newsagents and Gifted With Love, 

All businesses are having to adapt in these challenging and uncertain times and by signing up to ShopAppy, which is being funded through Derbyshire County Council for the first 12-months, Old Bolsover Yard will be able to reach it's local customers virtually. Shoppers will have the ability to browse items for sale in The Gallery from the comfort of their homes, enabling them to shop safely and with ease.

We're pleased to welcome Chris Hinch Antiques to Old Bolsover Yard. Chris specialises in antiques relating to field sports and the country house look.

So whether you are looking for Dutch enamel milk containers, garden architecture or enamel shades for a lighting feature pop into Old Bolsover Yard to see what Chris has to offer.

Old Bolsover Yard will be reopening on Thursday 3rd December at 10am after our latest closure following restrictions put in place to prevent spread of the Coronavirus. As these latest restrictions are eased we wanted to remind you of some of the measures that have been put in place to keep us all safe.

1. Only 1 customer (or family group) in each of the units at any one time
2. Please use the hand sanitiser provided when entering and exiting areas
3. Follow a clockwise direction around the site to assist with our one-way system
4. Maintain a 2m distance as far as possible
5. Children are welcome but please ensure they are kept under supervision
6. Please wear an appropriate Face Covering (unless exempt)
7. Contactless payments are preferred but we are still accepting cash

Thank you, we are looking forward to welcoming you all back to Old Bolsover Yard.

Until next time.....

This work will record and analyse the structures at Old Bolsover Yard and along with additional research being undertaken at Derbyshire Record Office will aim to give a greater understanding of the development and use of the buildings over time.

We're expecting a report from this work which we will be sharing with you all as soon as we can.

It's now more important than ever to shop local and support the small businesses in your area - we need you!

If you've been following along with the announcements on our social media channel you may already know that we will be joined by Handmade by Helen, Alasta Handmade, Cards & Crafts by Lilly & Faye, Leathercraft by George, and Thomas Taylor - Historical Ropemaker. Ethos Upcycling and Molly Felicity Designs will also be supporting the event and The Gallery will be open too.

So whether you are looking for Cottage Industry Crochet Creations, Leather Goods, Resin Art and Jewellery, Handmade Rope Gifts or Cards, Bookmarks and Key Chains we've got it all at our Makers Market.

See you there

​Sarah

I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since the last blog post. I was expecting to be busy planning for the Annual Food and Drink Festival and telling you about all the fabulous businesses who would be joining us in our Courtyard. Instead like everyone else I am still adapting to the new normal.

Lockdown restrictions are starting to ease and I have noticed a buzz around Old Bolsover Yard in the last few weeks as customers are starting to visit us again. It's been good to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. Next week sees us start to have some events running again although with social distancing measures in place of course given this new space we find ourselves in.

Join us from 10am to share any memories you may have of when the site was used as a butchers. We are hoping to have more news soon to share on the archaeological dig we were planning to discover what lies beneath. If you've any memorabilia, photos or stories to share we'd love to see you next Friday.

Sadly we had no entrants for our recent competition asking for designs or pictures of how that yard might have looked in the past. If you did still want to submit something then we'd love to see your artwork.

When we re-opened Old Bolsover Yard in June a number of safety measures were put in place in order to help us all stay safe. We had said that wearing a face covering was optional however in line with the changes to Government guidance there will now be a requirement to wear a face covering when entering the shopping areas at Old Bolsover Yard. This comes into effect from 24th July 2020 until further notice.

Finally a big thank you to everyone who has been supporting us over the last few weeks and if you haven't visited us yet we can't wait to welcome you to Old Bolsover Yard.

Until next time

​Sarah x 

It was good to reopen the gates at Old Bolsover Yard to everyone on Monday 15th June which saw non-essential retail shops being allowed to open again in England following some further relaxation by the UK Government to the lockdown rules.

Everyone has been working really hard to ensure that we were ready with The Fabric Den, The Tackle Shop and The Gallery all being rearranged to enable better social distancing inside for visitors. We've had to introduce a few new safety measures to ensure that we do everything we can to minimise any risks still presented by the Coronavirus.

You can find out more and plan your visit here.

Sunday 5th July - Old Bolsover Yard's Makers Market - unfortunately the difficult decision has been made to cancel this event. Our next Makers Market will be in September.

Friday 24th July - Show and Tell - Old Bolsover Yard Lottery Project - come and meet the team who are finding out the history of the site. Do you have any photos to show or stories to tell about Old Bolsover Yards past? Come and find out more about our Lottery Heritage Project.

Sunday 26th July - Ropemaking Workshop - come and join Thomas Taylor, our ropemaker, for an Introduction to Ropemaking (Booking required)

To enter follow the steps below:
1. Create you artwork
2. Email your completed submission (scans or photos are fine) to old [email protected] (please include your full name and a contact number)
3. Deadline for submissions is 30th June 2020
4. The winning design will be announced Monday 6th July via Old Bolsover Yard social media pages - Instagram and Facebook!

Can't wait to see what you create.

Until next time

​Sarah 

I do hope you are all keeping well? Old Bolsover Yard still remains closed until further notice, although there is a glimmer of hope that we may be able to reopen sometime in June with the plan for the easing of the lockdown that the Governement recently outlined.

So many small businesses are struggling with what it is they are currently allowed (and not allowed) to do as things are in such a state of constant change. Damion and I have been giving this a lot of thought recently and I thought it was time to share our thinking with you all.

As it stands at the moment there is no changes to policy in relation to non-essential retail and hospitality which is the core business carried out at Old Bolsover Yard. We have decided that The Gallery at Old Bolsover Yard will remain closed until at least the 1st June as it's classed as non-essential retail and is currently required to remain closed.

In terms of other businesses based at the yard, both Molly Felicity Designs and Ethos Upcycling have changed to a fully online service which includes adapting to a delivery model (If you live in S43 and S44 areas delivery is FREE). The units are being used to work on orders and package items for delivery, but for now the premises are closed to members of the public as required by Government Guidelines.

When we are able to reopen the site there will be a need to ensure that we are compliant with Covid-19 Secure guidelines. We will be looking to ensure easy access is available to sanitiser stations for all, and clearly visible social distancing signage and guidelines.

"When we finally get Old Bolsover Yard back open again, and our customers visit us, we will ensure they do so with a warm welcome, in a clean and safe environment."

COMPETITION TIME

We'd like to set you a challenge! Old Bolsover Yard and particularly Castle Street has existed for many hundreds of years. We'd like to challenge artists out there to give a representation of what it may have looked like in the medieval period or up to the 18th century. We're even going to give a prize of Afternoon Tea to the winner!

To get involved we invite everyone of all ages to  create a representation of the Yard and Castle Street in times gone by. This competition is open to EVERYONE. We are keen to see fun designs that help to visually represent the story of Old Bolsover Yard.

To enter follow the steps below:
1. Create your artwork
2. Email your completed submission to [email protected] (please include your full name and contact number)
3. Deadline for submissions is 30th June 2020
4. The winning design will be announced Monday 6th July via Old Bolsover Yard social media pages - Instagram and Facebook!

​Can't wait to see what you create.

Until next time

Take Care and Stay Safe

​Sarah

I had hoped following the blog post at the end of March announcing the temporary closure of Old Bolsover Yard my next post would be to let you all know that we would be opening again soon. Unfortunately at the moment we don't know when that will be as there are still Government restrictions on non-essential businesses opening,but suffice it to say when we do there will be a party planned!

Some of the businesses based at Old Bolsover Yard are trying to adapt and sell online which is still currently an option. You can follow what Ethos Upcycling and Molly Felicity Designs are up to by following them on Facebook.

The Coffee Cup, Old Bozza Tackle Shop, and Thomas Taylor Ropemaker also have pages so you can follow along there too. 

Hoping that you have all managed to have a blessed Easter, stay safe and stay at home.

Until next time.

Sarah x

However, following Boris Johnsons's announcement yesterday that all non-essential businesses close their doors it is only right that we temporarily close the gates at Old Bolsover Yard and stay at home.

This doesn't just affect Damion and myself but all the other small businesses that we support through the Craft Courtyard and Cafe at Old Bolsover Yard.

When we are able to open again please do come and support us all as we try to recover from this and keep our businesses going.

I'll be back again in a couple of weeks with another blog update which will hopefully have details of when we are able to reopen our doors. In the meantime stay safe, stay at home and look after each other.

Best Wishes

Sarah