Ay Up Me Duck...

...Get ready for a right good waddle!

The Ay Up Me Duck Trail launches on Saturday 14 February and will run for 10 weeks, inviting residents and visitors to explore Amber Valley in a fun, creative and self-led way.

Across the borough you’ll find eight large, selfie-ready duck sculptures, located in our four market towns:

• Alfreton
• Belper
• Heanor
• Ripley

Each town is home to two large duck sculptures, all hand-painted by talented local artists. The final designs were chosen by the public from over 80 submissions, making this a trail shaped by local creativity and community involvement.

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or rediscovering somewhere familiar, the Ay Up Me Duck Trail offers a fresh way to experience Amber Valley’s towns.

What is the trail?

The Ay Up Me Duck Trail is a free, self-guided arts trail that can be enjoyed at your own pace.

Visitors can look out for:

• Eight large duck sculptures, two in each town, painted by local or neighbouring artists
• Smaller themed ducks hidden in shop windows throughout each town
• Printed trail maps to help guide you
• A mobile app that allows you to collect ducks digitally and track your progress

You can complete the trail in one town, or challenge yourself to visit all four towns during the 10-week run.

Discover your town

The trail is designed to encourage people to get out and explore, helping them discover parts of their town they may not have noticed before.

As you follow the trail, you might:

• Come across independent shops and cafés, with some offering rewards or special promotions for using the trail app to follow the duck trails
• Discover quieter streets or local landmarks
• Take a new route through familiar places

Whether you complete one trail or all four, the experience is about enjoying your town in a different way and supporting local businesses along the way.

Explore more and take part

From here, you can dive deeper into the trail by using the menu below to find out more.