Dating from Mediaeval times, Sadler Gate which refers to the craft of the saddler, is a pedestrian route winding down from Iron Gate to Bold Lane. Its wonderfully informal, narrow, curving, way followed ancient property lines and would have offered some protection from wind, rain and sun. In 1837 Markeaton Brook was culverted and the pictures below show the site of the old Sadler Gate Bridge

The Bell Hotel, a 17th century brick and timber frame building It was the Meynell family who had this fine coaching inn built in 1680. During the floods of 1842, the nine year old grandson of John Campion II was launched in a wash tub in the cellar, the purpose to save some vintage bottles of wine placed there by his great-grandfather!

The builders Ford and Weston, added the mock-Tudor timbering as part of a decorative refurbishment in 1929, using timber that had been rescued from other local sites.

All the buildings along Sadler Gate, appear to have flat roofs, as shown above, but this is not the case as the picture opposite depicts, the buildings in fact have false facades, the reason being the architects wanted a uniform view along the roof tops of the street

Blacksmiths Yard which was once known as George Yard and Palfree’s Yard.

The black and white Tudor building below left was once a Merchant House that was built in the Market Place, it was rescued and rebuilt here, rumour has it that Charles I once stayed there in 1636

The Strand is shown below, the picture below left is the Library and the picture on the right has the entrance to the strand arcade