Local history enthusiast Shaun Stevenson and Chesterfield CAMRA’s InnSpire magazine editor Chris Fox, have teamed up to produce a high quality, self-guided Chesterfield pub tour booklet called “Historical Tales & Traditional Ales”.

The guide begins at The Rutland on Stevenson’s Place in the shadow of the Crooked Spire. The tour meanders through some of Chesterfield’s best pubs and many of its historical locations including the Crooked Spire and the Market place. With histories and anecdotes from 10 pubs open today and many more that have been lost to time, the booklet finishes at the Chesterfield Arms.

Shaun has been running the Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour since 2019 and has built up a wealth of information that he recounts in an engaging and easy to read style. Shaun remarked, “We wanted to create something accessible for anyone who is interested in Chesterfield, its pubs and their history. Something that didn’t cost very much and is entertaining, rather than just dry dates and names”. The pages contain stories of murder, mystery and dark secrets. Everything from pop stars, a streaker, the Oddfellows and even a former prime minister who opened one of Chesterfield’s pubs. “Many people will enjoy a trip down memory lane because we also include some of the more recent history and anecdotes”, said Shaun.

The driving force behind creating this booklet is Chris Fox. Chris says “Working with Shaun has been a pleasure, we are both really proud of the finished product. We just need people to go out and buy it, do the tour and support our local pubs”.