Blind man guides an eight-hour pub crawl sharing history and stories of Chesterfield boozers along famous Brampton Mile

Shaun Stevenson, who lives in Spital, has a severe visual impairment which means he cannot read notes and relies on his memory to lead the Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour during which he shares interesting anecdotes of 30 venues.

He is now offering the Brampton Mile Great Historic Pub Crawl throughout the summer, with the first one of the year on May 4.

Shaun, 57, said: “Chesterfield’s Brampton Mile has been a famous rite of passage and the source of many madcap stories for as long as anyone can remember. It used to be a formidable challenge but having lost many of the pubs over the years, these days it’s much more achievable and it’s not even a mile.

“The Brampton Mile is always changing. This year, we have two fully refurbished pubs to visit, The Duke and The Mile, as well as interesting anecdotes about the October 2023 floods and a fire that nearly consumed an old favourite built in 1842”.

There are now 14 pubs, a microbrewery and a micro pub, as well as three bar restaurants on the Brampton Mile.

Following a successful 2023 season, Shaun has decided to rearrange the tour so that every pub gets 30 minutes in the spotlight. A potted history presentation of around three minutes is given for each pub before going in for a drink and sometimes, a little history about some of the watering holes that have been closed and demolished which helps to keep their memory alive. This means the event can take up to eight hours.

These historic pub crawls take place on the first Saturday of the month - May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3 and September 7, starting at 12.30pm from The Star on Chatsworth Road, not far from the Morrisons roundabout.

The cost is £8 per person and you can book by texting Shaun on 07908 183160. Shaun said: “Booking is really important. If we don’t get enough of them, we can’t provide a tour. But it is free to book as it’s cash only on the day.”

For questions and more information on the Brampton Mile Pub Crawl and the other history tours provided by Shaun, you can follow his page on Facebook, search for www.facebook.com/CGHPT or Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour.