Darley Park is an urban park on the banks of the River Derwent, just north of

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

City Centre, England, United Kingdom. It has a total area of 80 acres and forms the largest part of the Darley Open Spaces. The park is one of Derby's most popular outdoor spaces.

Description

The name Darley Park is often used to describe all or the separate parts that make up the Darley Open Spaces; a number of adjacent urban park areas that lie on either side of the banks of the River Derwent, at the gateway to the

Derwent Valley Mills Derwent Valley Mills is a World Heritage Site along the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England, designated in December 2001. It is administered by the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. The modern factory, or 'mill', system was born here in the 18 ...

World Heritage Site. They are; Darley Park, Derwent Park, Parker’s Piece,

Chester Green Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Local ...

, Darley Fields and Nutwood Nature Reserve. At 80 acres, Darley Park is the largest of the areas. It is formed largely of steep bank that has a rise from the river level of about 30m. There are five main entrances to the Park, the closest to Derby city centre being at the southern point, off North Parade. Here there is also

Handyside Bridge Handyside Bridge, also known as Derwent Bridge, is a former railway bridge in Darley Abbey, Derbyshire, England which was converted to a foot bridge in 1976 following closure of the railway in 1968. Named for its builders, Andrew Handyside & C ...

which offers a pedestrian route over to Parkers Piece and Chester Green. Darley Park can also be accessed from the adjacent Derwent Park via pathways that lead from Duffield Road and Belper Road. There are two entrances from

Darley Abbey Darley Abbey is a former historic mill village, now a suburb of the city of Derby, England. It is located approximately north of the city centre, on the west bank of the River Derwent, and forms part of the Darley ward along with Little Ches ...

Village; one off New Road and one at the northern point of the Park, next to Deans Field. There are two official car parks for the park, one at the Darley Road entrance and one at Deans Field. Both of these car parks are free to use. File:Darley Park.jpg File:River Derwent running through Darley Park.jpg File:Darley Park Grassland.jpg File:View from Handyside Bridge.jpg File:Darley Park in summer.jpg File:Darley Park sunrise.jpg File:Darley Park, looking north-eastwards.jpg File:Derwent Park from the Duffield Road entrance.jpg File:Darley Fields path.jpg, Darley Fields

History

In 1929 the Evans family, who were the local mill owners, donated the land Darley Park stands on to the people of Derby. The park had its official opening by the Duke of Kent on 30 June 1931. Nearby

Markeaton Park Markeaton Park is a large public park located in Markeaton, Derby, 207 acres in size. It attracts one million visitors a year, making it one of the most visited parks in the East Midlands. Markeaton Park is an important part of Derby history, whi ...

was also opened later that day. Thousands of people attended the opening, including around 4,000 local children. Included in the grounds was a Georgian mansion, however, this was demolished in the '60s due to the building being unsafe. The site of the mansion was flattened and a paved garden was installed, in addition to the gardens that were already in place. Some of the bricks from the original mansion were used in the construction of the pillars that make up the tearooms outdoor seating area today.

Gardens

Darley Park is home to largest collection of Hydrangeas in Britain, and the third largest in the world. First planted in 1984 it now has over 400 different types and is constantly expanding. Since April 2010 the collection has been maintained in partnership with a subgroup of Friends of Darley Open Spaces (FoDOS) called Hydrangea Derby. The Hydrangea Derby project is helped by volunteers who plant, maintain and catalogue the collection. Open days are held each summer to showcase the collection and a free guided tour is provided. There is a butterfly garden situated next to the hydrangea collection which boast an array of butterflies in the summer months.

Events

The Darley Park Concert is held annually in the park and is hosted by Derby Live. The natural amphitheatre landscape allows spectators to view down to a temporary stage set up and there is a firework finale. The concert was previously Europe’s largest free outdoor concert, however as of 2018 there has been admission fees in place. The concert was temporarily moved to

Castle Donington Castle Donington is a market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, on the edge of the National Forest and close to East Midlands Airport. History The name 'Donington' means 'farm/settlement connected with Dunna'. Another suggest ...

in 2017 due to council funding issues. In 2012 the park hosted the end of day 42 in the

2012 Summer Olympics torch relay The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 19 May until 27 July, prior to the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The torch bearer selection process was announced on 18 May 2011. As well as touring the United Kingdom the schedule included the t ...

Facilities

Darley Park Tearooms occupies the old school building, that was once part of the mansion, and has a terraced area that has views across the park and the city beyond. Darley Abbey Cricket Club has its ground and pavilion in the park. The club plays in the

Derbyshire County Cricket League The Premier Division of the Derbyshire County Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Derbyshire, England, and is a designated ECB Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Assoc ...

, Divisions 4 South, 7 South and 4 North. Derby Rowing Club is located at the south end of the park. It has a function room that can be hired out for events.

References

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