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Derby ( ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
unitary authority area A unitary authority is a local government, local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the ...
in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the
East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
Region. It was traditionally the
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of Derbyshire. Derby gained city status in 1977, the population size has increased by 5.1%, from around 248,800 in 2011 to 261,400 in 2021. Derby was settled by Romans, who established the town of
Derventio Derventio is a Britto-Roman name, but of Celtic origin (''dervo-'' "oak-tree"), and refers to one of the following Roman sites in Roman Britain : * Derventio (Papcastle), the Roman fort and settlement at Papcastle near Cockermouth, Cumbria * Derven ...
, later captured by the Anglo-Saxons, and later still by the Vikings, who made their town of one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw. Initially a market town, Derby grew rapidly in the industrial era. Home to Lombe's Mill, an early British factory, Derby has a claim to be one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. It contains the southern part of 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. With the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, Derby became a centre of the British rail industry. Derby is a centre for advanced transport manufacturing, being home to the world's second largest aero-engine manufacturer: Rolls-Royce.
Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...
has a production facility at the Derby Litchurch Lane Works while Toyota Manufacturing UK's automobile headquarters is located southwest of the city at Burnaston.


History


Origins

The Roman camp of "
Derventio Derventio is a Britto-Roman name, but of Celtic origin (''dervo-'' "oak-tree"), and refers to one of the following Roman sites in Roman Britain : * Derventio (Papcastle), the Roman fort and settlement at Papcastle near Cockermouth, Cumbria * Derven ...
" is considered to have been at Little Chester/Chester Green (), the site of the old Roman fort. Later, the town was one of the "
Five Boroughs 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awar ...
" (fortified towns) of the Danelaw, until it was captured by Lady Aethelflaed of Mercia in July 917, after which the town was annexed to the Kingdom of Mercia. The Viking name , recorded in
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
as , means "village of the deer". However, the origin of the name Derby has had multiple influences: a variation of the original Roman name with pronunciation of the letter "v" as "b", becoming , and later Derby, along with a link to the river Derwent – from the
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
meaning "valley thick with oaks" – which flows through the city, triggering a shortened version of ''Derwent by'', meaning 'Derwent settlement'. The town name appears as ''Darbye'' on early maps, such as that of
John Speed John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.S. Bendall, 'Speed, John (1551/2–1629), historian and cartographer', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (OUP 2004/ ...
, 1610. Modern research (2004) into the history and archaeology of Derby has provided evidence that the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons would have co-existed, occupying two areas of land surrounded by water. The ''
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...
'' (c. 900) says that "Derby is divided by water". These areas of land were known as ("Northworthy"="north enclosure") and , and were at the "Irongate" (north) side of Derby.


16th–18th centuries

During the Civil War of 1642–1646, Derby was garrisoned by Parliamentary troops commanded by Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet, who was appointed Governor of Derby in 1643. These troops took part in the defence of nearby Nottingham, the siege of Lichfield, the battle of Hopton Heath and many other engagements in Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
, as well as successfully defending Derbyshire against Royalist armies. The first civic system of piped water in England was established in Derby in 1692, using wooden pipes, which was common for several centuries. The Derby Waterworks included waterwheel-powered pumps for raising water out of the River Derwent and storage tanks for distribution. This was designed and built by local engineer George Sorocold.
Bonnie Prince Charlie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
set up camp at Derby on 4 December 1745, whilst on his way south to seize the British crown. The prince called at The George Inn on Irongate, where the
Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...
had set up his headquarters, and demanded billets for his 9,000 troops. He stayed at
Exeter House Exeter House was an early 17th-century brick-built mansion, which stood in Full Street, Derby until demolished in 1854. Named for the Earls of Exeter, whose family owned the property until 1757, the house was notable for the stay of Charles ...
, Full Street, where he held a " council of war". A replica of the room is on display at Derby Museum in the city centre. He had received misleading information about an army coming to meet him south of Derby. Although he wished to continue with his quest, he was over-ruled by his fellow officers. He abandoned his invasion at Swarkestone Bridge on the River Trent just a few miles south of Derby. As a testament to his belief in his cause, the prince – who on the march from Scotland had walked at the front of the column – made the return journey on horseback at the rear of the bedraggled and tired army.
Shrovetide football The Royal Shrovetide Football Match is a "medieval football" game played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England. Shrovetide ball games have been played in England since at least the 12th cen ...
was played at Derby every year, possibly from as early as the 12th century. The town was split into the St Peter's and All Saints parishes, who fought to bring the ball from the Market Place to a goal within their own parishes. There were several attempts to ban the game, described in 1846 as "the barbarous and disgusting play of Foot-Ball, which for a great number of years has annually disgraced our town". In that year the military were brought in and after the police cut the first ball to pieces, another ball was produced and the town's Mayor was "stuck on the shoulder by a brick-bat, hurled by some ferocious ruffian, and severely bruised". The Derby Football was banned in 1846, although it was played once more in 1870.


Industrial Revolution

Derby and Derbyshire were among the centres of Britain's Industrial Revolution. In 1717, Derby was the site of the first water-powered silk mill in Britain, built by John Lombe and George Sorocold, after Lombe had reputedly stolen the secrets of silk-throwing from Piedmont in Italy (he is alleged to have been poisoned by the Piedmontese as revenge in 1722). In 1759, Jedediah Strutt patented and built a machine called the Derby Rib Attachment that revolutionised the manufacture of hose. This attachment was used on the Rev. Lee's
Framework Knitting A stocking frame was a mechanical knitting machine used in the textiles industry. It was invented by William Lee of Calverton near Nottingham in 1589. Its use, known traditionally as framework knitting, was the first major stage in the mechan ...
Machine; it was placed in front of – and worked in unison with – Lee's Frame, to produce ribbed hose (stockings). The partners were Jedediah Strutt, William Woollatt (who had been joined in 1758 by John Bloodworth and Thomas Stafford, all leading
hosier Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as h ...
s in Derby). The patent was obtained in January 1759. After three years, Bloodworth and Stafford were paid off, and Samuel Need – a hosier of Nottingham – joined the partnership. The firm was known as Need, Strutt and Woollatt. The patent expired in 1773 though the partnership continued until 1781 when Need died. Messrs Wright, the bankers of Nottingham, recommended that
Richard Arkwright Sir Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an English inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution. He is credited as the driving force behind the development of the spinning frame, known as t ...
apply to Strutt and Need for finance for his cotton
spinning Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
mill. The first mill opened in Nottingham in 1770 and was driven by horses. In 1771 Richard Arkwright, Samuel Need and Jedediah Strutt built the world's first commercially successful
water-power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
ed cotton spinning mill at
Cromford Cromford is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England, in the valley of the River Derwent between Wirksworth and Matlock. It is north of Derby, south of Matlock and south of Matlock Bath. It is first mentioned in the 11th-century Do ...
, Derbyshire, developing a form of power that was to be a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. This was followed in Derbyshire by Jedediah Strutt's cotton spinning mills at
Belper Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England, located about north of Derby on the River Derwent. As well as Belper itself, the parish also includes the village of Milford and the ha ...
. They were: South Mill, the first, 1775; North Mill, 1784, which was destroyed by fire on 12 January 1803 and then rebuilt, starting work again at the end of 1804; West Mill, 1792, commenced working 1796; Reeling Mill, 1897; Round Mill, which took 10 years to build, from 1803 to 1813, and commenced working in 1816; and Milford Mills, 1778. The Belper and
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
mills were ''not'' built in partnership with Arkwright; they were all owned and financed by Strutt. Other notable 18th-century figures with connections to Derby include the painter Joseph Wright, known as Wright of Derby, who was known for his innovative use of light in his paintings and was an associate of the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
; and John Whitehurst, a clockmaker and philosopher.
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...
, doctor, scientist, philosopher and grandfather of Charles Darwin, whose practice was based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, was a frequent visitor to Derby, having founded the
Derby Philosophical Society The Derby Philosophical Society was a club for gentlemen in Derby founded in 1783 by Erasmus Darwin. The club had many notable members and also offered the first institutional library in Derby that was available to some section of the public. P ...
. Derby's place in the country's philosophical and political life continued with Henry Hutchinson, an active member of the Fabian Society. On his death in 1894, he left the society an amount in his will which was instrumental in founding the London School of Economics. The beginning of 19th century saw Derby emerging as an engineering centre, with manufacturers such as James Fox, who exported machine tools to Russia. In 1840, the North Midland Railway set up its works in Derby and when it merged with the Midland Counties Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway to form the Midland Railway, Derby became its headquarters. The connection with the railway encouraged others, notably Andrew Handyside, Charles Fox and his son Francis Fox. A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Normanton Barracks in 1877. Derby was one of the boroughs reformed by the
Municipal Corporations Act 1835 The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Will 4 c 76), sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales. The legisl ...
, and it became a county borough with the Local Government Act 1888. The borough expanded in 1877 to include Little Chester and
Litchurch Litchurch is an area of the city of Derby in Derbyshire, England. Originally an obscure locality on the edge of Derby, rapid urbanisation and population growth in the 19th century led to it briefly existing as a separately governed local authorit ...
, and then in 1890 to include New Normanton and Rowditch. The borough did not increase substantially again until 1968, when under a recommendation of the Local Government Boundary Commission it was expanded into large parts of the rural district of
Belper Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England, located about north of Derby on the River Derwent. As well as Belper itself, the parish also includes the village of Milford and the ha ...
, Repton and South East Derbyshire. This vastly increased Derby's population from 132,408 in the 1961 census to 219,578 in the 1971 census. Despite being one of the areas of Britain furthest from the sea, Derby holds a special place in the history of marine safety – it was as MP for Derby that
Samuel Plimsoll Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 – 3 June 1898) was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line (a line on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe draught, and therefore the minimum fr ...
introduced his bills for a " Plimsoll line" (and other marine safety measures). This failed on first introduction, but was successful in 1876 and contributed to Plimsoll's re-election as an MP.


20th century to present day

An industrial boom began in Derby when Rolls-Royce opened a car and aircraft factory in the town in 1907. In 1923, the Midland Railway became part of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway with headquarters in London. However, Derby remained a major rail manufacturing centre, second only to
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...
and Wolverton. Moreover, it remained a design and development centre and in the 1930s, on the direction of Lord Stamp, the LMS Scientific Research Laboratory was opened on London Road. In 1911, the Derby Wireless Club was formed by a group of local engineers and experimenters. It was to be the first radio or "wireless club" in the country. The early activities of the club, (even through World Wars), pushed the boundaries of 'wireless' technologies at the time in England, and promoted it into becoming a hobby for many local folk. In World War I, Derby was targeted by German Zeppelin air bombers, who killed five people in a 1916 raid on the town. All Saints Church was designated as a cathedral in 1927, signalling that the town was ready for city status. Slum clearance in the 1920s and 1930s saw the central area of Derby become less heavily populated as families were rehoused on new
council estates Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...
in the suburbs, where houses for private sale were also constructed. Rehousing, council house building and private housing developments continued on a large scale for some 30 years after the end of World War II in 1945. Production and repair work continued at the railway works. In December 1947 the Locomotive Works unveiled Britain's first mainline passenger diesel-electric locomotive"Number 10000". In 1958 production switched over to diesel locomotives completely. Meanwhile, the Carriage & Wagon Works were building the first of the Diesel Multiple Units that were to take over many of the services. In 1964 the British Rail Research Division opened to study all aspects of railway engineering from first principles. Its first success was in drastically improving the reliability and speed of goods trains, work which led to the development of the
Advanced Passenger Train The Advanced Passenger Train (APT) was a tilting high speed train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s, for use on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The WCML contained many curves, and the APT pioneered the concept of activ ...
. Derby was awarded city status on 7 June 1977 by
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
to mark the 25th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. The Queen presented the "charter scroll" or "letters patent" in person on 28 July 1977 on the steps of the Council House to the then Mayor Councillor Jeffrey Tillet (Conservative). Until then, Derby had been one of the few towns in England with a cathedral but not city status. Derby holds an important position in the history of the Labour movement as one of two seats (the other being Keir Hardie's in
Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
) gained by the recently formed Labour Representation Committee at the 1900 general election. The MP was Richard Bell, General Secretary of the Railway Servants Union. Bell was succeeded in 1910 by
Jimmy Thomas Jimmy Thomas (January 20, 1939 – April 25, 2022) was an American soul singer and songwriter. He was best known as a vocalist for Ike Turner. Thomas joined Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1958, and remained with the band when the Ike & Tina T ...
and he in turn by the distinguished polymath and
Nobel Laureate The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make out ...
Philip Noel-Baker in 1936. Despite its strategic industries (rail and
aero-engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...
), Derby suffered comparatively little damage in both world wars (contrast Bristol and Filton). This may in part have been because of jamming against the German radio-beam navigations systems (X-Verfahren and Knickebein, camouflage and decoy techniques ("
Starfish site Starfish sites were large-scale night-time decoys created during the Blitz to simulate burning British cities. The aim was to divert German night bombers from their intended targets so they would drop their ordnance over the countryside. The sites ...
s") were built, mainly south of the town, e.g. out in fields near
Foremark Foremark is a hamlet and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It contains Foremarke Hall, a medieval manor house which now houses Repton Preparatory School; and part of Foremark Reservoir. Foremark is near the h ...
.) Derby has also become a significant cultural centre for the deaf community in Britain. Many deaf people move to Derby because of its strong sign language-using community. It is estimated that the deaf population in Derby is at least three times higher than the national average, and that only London has a larger deaf population. The Royal School for the Deaf on Ashbourne Road provides education in British Sign Language and English.


Government


Local government

By traditional definitions, Derby is the
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of Derbyshire, although Derbyshire's
administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
has in recent years been Matlock. On 1 April 1997, Derby City Council became again a unitary authority (a status it had held, as a county borough, up until 1974), having previously been administered from Matlock along with the rest of Derbyshire. On 7 July 2014, Derby's first ever Youth Mayor, Belal Butt (a student from Chellaston Academy), was elected by the
Mayor of Derby Names of the Mayors for the Borough of Derby from the first that was chosen on 3 July 1638 by the king's charter then granted to the town. The two last bailiffs were the two first mayors, Mr Mellor being proclaimed 3 July 1638 to be the mayor u ...
. Derby is divided into seventeen electoral wards, each of which elects three members of Derby City Council.


UK parliament

Derby was a single United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency represented by two members of parliament until 1950, when it was divided into the single-member constituencies of Derby North and
Derby South Derby South () is a constituency formed of part of the city of Derby represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1983 by veteran MP Margaret Beckett of the Labour Party. She has served under the Labour governments of Haro ...
. However, in 2010, the wards of Allestree, Oakwood and Spondon were moved to the new constituency of
Mid Derbyshire Mid Derbyshire is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Pau ...
, created for the 2010 general election. As of 2020, Derby is represented by three MPs.


City emblem

Derby's emblem is the Derby Ram, about which there is a
folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...
titled " The Derby Ram". It is found in a number of places, most notably serving as the nickname of Derby County F.C. The logo of the City Council's services is a stylised ram.


Geography

Derby is in a relatively low-lying area along the lower valley of the River Derwent, where the south-east foothills of the
Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands running between three regions of Northern England: North West England on the west, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber on the east. Commo ...
adjoin the lowlands and valley of the River Trent to the south. The city is bordered by four national character areas, the Trent Valley Washlands to the south, the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfields in the east, the South Derbyshire Claylands in the west, and the Derbyshire Peak Fringe in the north. Most of the flat plains surrounding Derby lie in the Trent Valley Washlands and South Derbyshire Claylands, while the hillier, northern parts of the city lie within the Derbyshire Peak Fringe and the Coalfields. The city is around from
Coton in the Elms Coton in the Elms is a village and parish in the English county of Derbyshire. At from the coast, it is the one of the furthest places in the United Kingdom from coastal waters. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census was 896. ...
, the farthest place from coastal waters in the United Kingdom.


Derby urban area

The Derby Built-up Area (BUA) or Derby Urban Area is an area including Derby and adjoining built-up districts of Derbyshire, including
Borrowash Borrowash is a village in the Erewash district of Derbyshire, England, situated immediately east of the Derby city boundary. The appropriate civil parish is called Ockbrook and Borrowash. History Borrowash was, for most of its history, the sec ...
and Duffield. The Office for National Statistics defines an urban area as one which is built upon, with nearby areas linked if within 200 metres. It had a total population of 270,468 at the time of the 2011 census. An increase of over 10% since the 2001 census recorded population of 236,738; comprising population increases since 2001 along with new minor residential areas, and larger sub-divisions.The Derby built-up area is considered to be most of the city, as well as outlying villages within the
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
of Amber Valley and Erewash which adjoin the city. This overall area is, by ONS' figures, the 29th largest in the UK. Because methods of measuring linked areas were redefined for the 2011 census, Breadsall, Duffield and Little Eaton were included. However,
Quarndon Quarndon is a linear village in the south of the Amber Valley District of Derbyshire, England. It is spread along four minor upland roads, approximately 1 mile north of the Derby suburb of Allestree, two of which lead towards the city. Many t ...
is not considered to be a component as it is marginally too distant. It extends south to small adjoining estates in the South Derbyshire district, at
Boulton Moor Boulton is a suburb and local government ward of the city of Derby, England, and is located about four miles to the south-east of Derby city centre. It is closely associated with the neighbouring suburb of Alvaston and comes under the "Alvaston" ...
/ Thulston Fields, Stenson Fields, and the Mickleover Country Park residential development (The Pastures) within Burnaston parish. The urban area is bounded to the east by a narrow gap between
Borrowash Borrowash is a village in the Erewash district of Derbyshire, England, situated immediately east of the Derby city boundary. The appropriate civil parish is called Ockbrook and Borrowash. History Borrowash was, for most of its history, the sec ...
and Draycott (to the west of the
Breaston Breaston ( ) is a large village and civil parish in the Erewash district, in the south-east of Derbyshire and lies approximately east of the city of Derby and west of the city of Nottingham. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2 ...
urban area sub-division of the Nottingham BUA). It is also close to other nearby urban areas to the north. Notes: *Ockbrook included in Borrowash figure in 2011. *Derby unitary authority 2001/2011 population figures were 221,716 and 244,625, the table ONS subdivision figures also containing small adjoining estates outside the city boundary at Boulton Moor/Thulston Fields, Stenton Fields, and Burnaston. *Quarndon, although very close to the BUA is considered to be a separate area.


Green belt

Derby has a green belt area defined to the north and east of the city, first drawn up in the 1950s, to prevent convergence with the surrounding towns and villages. It extends for several miles into the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, covering much of the area up to Nottingham.


Climate

Derby's climate is classified as warm and temperate. The rainfall in Derby is significant, with precipitation even during the driest month. This location is classified as Cfb according to the Köppen climate classification. Under the Köppen climatic classification, Derby, in spite of its distance from large bodies of water, has an oceanic climate along with the rest of the British Isles. The average annual temperature is 9.7 °C in Derby. Precipitation here averages 694 mm.


Nearby settlements


Demography


Ethnicity


Religion


Industry

Derby's two biggest employers, Rolls-Royce Holdings and Toyota, are engaged in engineering manufacturing. Other companies of note include railway systems engineering firm
Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...
, who manufacture railway rolling stock at Derby Litchurch Lane Works (acquired by
Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
in 2021); First Source, who deal with much of Sky's telephone support; and Triton Equity, who took over Alstom's manufacturing plant for large power plant boilers and heat exchangers in 2014.
Derby power station Derby power station supplied electricity to the town of Derby and the surrounding area from 1893 to 1969. The power station was built and operated by Derby Corporation and started generating electricity in October 1893. It was located in Silkmi ...
on Silkmill Lane supplied electricity to the town and the surrounding area from 1893 until its closure in 1969. From 1922 Sinfin Lane was the home of the site of
International Combustion International Combustion Limited was a major engineering business based in Derby offering products for the nuclear engineering industry. International Combustion Australia Limited was a separate non-affiliated company. History The Company was foun ...
, originally manufacturers of machinery for the automatic delivery of pulverised fuel to
furnaces A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion. Furnace may also refer to: Appliances Buildings * Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings * Boiler, used t ...
and
boilers A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
, and later producing steam-generating boilers for use in electrical generating plant such as used in power stations. In the 1990s the firm was bought by Rolls-Royce plc and then sold on again to ABB Group. Derby was the home of Core Design (originally based on Ashbourne Road), who developed the successful video game '' Tomb Raider''. When Derby's inner ring road was completed in 2010, a section of it was named 'Lara Croft Way' after the game's heroine Lara Croft. One of Derby's longest-established businesses is Royal Crown Derby, which has been producing porcelain since the 1750s. The
Midlands Co-operative Society Midlands Co-operative Society Limited was the second largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was a registered Industrial and Provident Society, a member of the Co-operative Union, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corpo ...
, a predecessor of
Central England Co-operative Central England Co-operative, trading as Central Co-op, is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom, based in Lichfield and which trades from over 400 sites across the English Midlands and East Anglia. The business is owned and de ...
, traced its origins to Derby Co-operative Provident Society which, in 1854, was one of the first co-operatives in the region. Infinity Park Derby is a planned business park for aerospace, rail and automotive technology adjacent to the Rolls-Royce site in Sinfin. In December 2014, the government announced that the park would gain enterprise zone status by being added to
Nottingham Enterprise Zone Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robin ...
.


Railway engineering

As a consequence of the Midland Railway having their headquarters in Derby, along with their
Locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...
and Carriage & Wagon Works, the railways had been a major influence on the development of the town during the Victorian period. During the 20th century, railway manufacturing developed elsewhere, while in Derby the emphasis shifted to other industries. Even though it had pioneered the introduction of diesel locomotives, new production finished in 1966. Repair work gradually diminished until the locomotive works closed, the land being redeveloped as Pride Park. The only buildings remaining are those visible from Platform 6 of the station. The Carriage and Wagon Works has been owned by
Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
since 2021 and continues to build trains. The Railway Technical Centre continues to house railway businesses; this formerly included the headquarters of DeltaRail Group (previously known as the British Rail Research Division). Derby railway station retains an important position in the railway network.
East Midlands Railway Abellio East Midlands Limited, trading as East Midlands Railway (EMR), is a train operating company in England, owned by Abellio, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. History In March 2017, the Department for Transport a ...
operate Derby Etches Park depot while Network Rail and
Rail Operations Group Rail Operations Group (ROG) specialises in ad-hoc movement of rolling stock for rolling stock companies and train operating companies as well as locomotive spot hire services and the operation of charter trains. It has its headquarters and main ...
also maintain trains in Derby. The city is favoured as a site for a national railway centre. Derby is also the headquarters of the
Derby Railway Engineering Society 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 ga ...
, founded in 1908 to promote railway engineering expertise both in the city and nationally.


Landmarks

Derby Cathedral tower is tall to the tip of the pinnacles. This has been home to a pair of breeding
peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
s since 2006, monitored by four webcams. Derby Gaol is a visitor attraction based in the dungeons of the Derbyshire County Gaol, which dates back to 1756.
Derby Museum of Making 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 gain ...
is housed in
Derby Silk Mill Derby Silk Mill, formerly known as Derby Industrial Museum, is a museum of industry and history in Derby, England. The museum is located on the former site of Lombe's Mill, a historic silk mill which marks the southern end of the Derwent Valle ...
and shows the industrial heritage and technological achievement of Derby, including Rolls-Royce
aero engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...
s, railways, mining, quarrying and foundries. On 10 May 2022 it was annoounced that the Museum of Makinig was short-listed for the 2022 Art Fund Museum of the Year award. The Silk Mill stands at the southern end of the stretch of the River Derwent designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.
Pickford's House Museum Pickford's House Museum of Georgian Life and Costume is in Derby, England. It is named after architect Joseph Pickford, who built it as his family home in 1770. It was opened as a museum in 1988. The building is Grade I listed. History Pickford ...
was built by architect Joseph Pickford in 1770. It was his home and business headquarters.
Derby Museum and Art Gallery Derby Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in Derby, England. It was established in 1879, along with Derby Central Library, in a new building designed by Richard Knill Freeman and given to Derby by Michael Thomas Bass. The collect ...
shows paintings by Joseph Wright, as well as fine Royal Crown Derby porcelain, natural history, local regiments and archaeology. Pickford also designed
St Helen's House St Helen's House is a Grade I listed building. situated in King Street, Derby, England. Now leased as offices, it has been used in the past as a private residence and as an educational establishment. In 2013, renovation of the main house was co ...
in King Street. The skyline of the inner city changed in 1968 when the inner ring road with its two new crossings of the River Derwent was built. The route of the ring road went through the St Alkmund's Church and its
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
churchyard In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...
, the only Georgian square in Derby. Both were demolished to make way for the road, a move still criticised today. Thus the editor (Elizabeth Williamson) of the 2nd edition of Pevsner for Derbyshire wrote: "...the character and cohesion of the centre has been completely altered by the replacement of a large number of C18 houses in the centre by a multi-lane road. As a traffic scheme this road is said to be a triumph; as townscape it is a disaster."


Places of interest

* Cathedral Quarter * Darley Abbey *
Derby Arboretum Derby Arboretum is a public park and arboretum in the city of Derby, England, located about south of the city centre in the Rose Hill area. It was opened in 1840, following the donation of the land by local philanthropist Joseph Strutt, and to ...
* Derby Canal * Derby Cathedral *
Derby Museum and Art Gallery Derby Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in Derby, England. It was established in 1879, along with Derby Central Library, in a new building designed by Richard Knill Freeman and given to Derby by Michael Thomas Bass. The collect ...
*
Museum of Making Derby Silk Mill, formerly known as Derby Industrial Museum, is a museum of industry and history in Derby, England. The museum is located on the former site of Lombe's Mill, a historic silk mill which marks the southern end of the Derwent Valley ...
(housed in
Derby Silk Mill Derby Silk Mill, formerly known as Derby Industrial Museum, is a museum of industry and history in Derby, England. The museum is located on the former site of Lombe's Mill, a historic silk mill which marks the southern end of the Derwent Valle ...
) *
St Mary's Church, Derby St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Derby, England. A Grade II* listed building, it stands on Bridge Gate overlooking St Alkmund's Way. The church was designed by architect A. W. N. Pugin and according to Simon Jenkins, it ...
*
Derby Friargate Station Derby Friargate railway station was the main station in Derby on the Great Northern Railway Derbyshire Extension, popularly known as the (Derby) Friargate Line. History The line opened on 1 April 1878. The station was on the Derbyshire and ...
(of which all that remains is Handyside's bridge and the bridge across Friargate) *
Pride Park Stadium Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Derby, England, that is the home ground of English Football League club Derby County. With a capacity of 33,597, it is the 16th-largest football ground in England and the 20th-largest stad ...
( Derby County F.C.) and its predecessor the
Baseball Ground The Baseball Ground (sometimes referred to as the BBG) was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 19 ...
(now demolished) * River Derwent *
St Helen's House, Derby St Helen's House is a Grade I listed building. situated in King Street, Derby, England. Now leased as offices, it has been used in the past as a private residence and as an educational establishment. In 2013, renovation of the main house was co ...
*
Derby Catacombs The Derby Catacombs (also referred to as the Guildhall Catacombs) are a series of tunnels running beneath the city of Derby, most notably beneath the Marketplace and Derby Guildhall. Access to the tunnels is available via a back room of the nearb ...
* Derbion shopping centre * Saint Benedict Catholic School and Performing Arts College secondary school * Royal Crown Derby Museum and Factory Tour *
Pickford's House Museum Pickford's House Museum of Georgian Life and Costume is in Derby, England. It is named after architect Joseph Pickford, who built it as his family home in 1770. It was opened as a museum in 1988. The building is Grade I listed. History Pickford ...
*
Derby Arena Derby Arena is a multi-use indoor arena and velodrome at Pride Park in Derby, England. It was opened in 2015 and has hosted cycling, badminton and entertainment events. Construction Construction was expected to be completed in November 2014 wi ...


Transport


Roads

The city has extensive transport links with other areas of the country. The M1 motorway passes about east of the city, linking Derby southwards to the London area and northwards to Sheffield and Leeds. Other major roads passing through or near Derby include the A6 (historically the main route from London to
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, also linking to
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
and Manchester), A38 (
Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...
to
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...
via Bristol and Birmingham), A50 (Warrington to
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
via Stoke-on-Trent), A52 road (Great Britain), A52 (Newcastle-under-Lyme to Mablethorpe, including Brian Clough Way linking Derby to Nottingham) and A61 road (Great Britain), A61 (Derby to Thirsk via Sheffield and Leeds). On 16 March 2011, Mercian Way, the final section of the city's inner ring road, was opened to traffic. This new section connects Burton Road with Uttoxeter New Road, and crosses Abbey Street. Abbey Street is the only road between the two ends from which Mercian Way can be accessed.


Railways

Derby railway station is operated by
East Midlands Railway Abellio East Midlands Limited, trading as East Midlands Railway (EMR), is a train operating company in England, owned by Abellio, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. History In March 2017, the Department for Transport a ...
and is served by express services to London, the North East and South West, provided by East Midlands and CrossCountry. There also remain local stations at Peartree railway station, Peartree and Spondon railway station, Spondon, although services are limited, especially at the former.


Air

East Midlands Airport is about from Derby city centre. Its proximity to Derby, the fact that the airport is in Leicestershire, and the traditional rivalry between the three cities (Derby, Leicester and Nottingham), meant that there was controversy concerning the airport's decision to prefix its name with Nottingham in 2004. In 2006, Nottingham East Midlands Airport reverted to its previous name. The airport is served by budget airlines, including Ryanair and Jet2, with services to domestic and European destinations. Derby Airfield, approximately southwest of the city centre, has grass runways targeted at general aviation.


Bus and coach

The Derby bus station has 29 bays, 5 for coaches and 24 for general bus services. Local bus services in and around Derby are run by a number of companies, but principally Trentbarton and Arriva Midlands. The city is on National Express Coaches, National Express' London to Manchester and Yorkshire to the South West routes.


Culture, entertainment and sport

On 8 October 2021 it was announced that Derby had been included in the longlist of bids to host UK City of Culture 2025, but in March 2022 it failed to make it onto the shortlist.


Music

In rock music, the blues singer-songwriter Kevin Coyne came from Derby, as does the three-piece rock band LostAlone, and indie/glam rock band The Struts. The ska punk band Lightyear (band), Lightyear also hail from the city, naming their second album ''Chris Gentlemens Hairdresser and Railway Book Shop'' after a shop in Macklin Street. The pop band White Town is from Derby, and their video "Your Woman" features scenes from the city centre. Derby band The Beekeepers were signed to Beggars Banquet Records between 1993 and 1998. Singer Jamie East later went on to create entertainment website Holy Moly and present ''Big Brother's Bit on the Side''. One of Derby's bands is Anti-Pasti, whose debut 1981 album ''The Last Call'' reached the top 40 in the UK album charts. The band reformed in 2012 and again with altered line up in 2014. Sinfonia Viva is a chamber orchestra based in Derby, presenting concerts and educational events in the city, across the East Midlands, and occasionally further afield. A full-scale programme of orchestral and other concerts was presented by Derby LIVE at the Assembly Rooms, though this is currently closed following fire damage in March 2014; performances continue to take place at the smaller Derby Guildhall, Guildhall Theatre, and in Derby Cathedral. The amateur classical music scene includes two choral societies, Derby Bach Choir and Derby Choral Union; smaller choirs including the Derwent Singers and Sitwell Singers; and Derby Concert Orchestra. Derby Chamber Music presents an annual series of chamber music concerts at Derby University's Multifaith Centre. A series of organ recitals is presented every summer at Derby Cathedral. The folk-music scene includes the annual Derby Folk Festival. Derby Jazz promotes a year-round series of performances and workshops. Kaleidoscope Community Music includes Kaleidoscope Community Choir and Calidoscopio Carnival Drummers. Other music venues in the city include The Venue on Abbey Street, The Hairy Dog on Becket Street, Ryan's Bar in the St Peter's Quarter, The Flowerpot on King Street, and The Victoria Inn.


Theatre and arts

Derby has had a number of theatres, including the Grand Theatre, Derby, Grand Theatre which was opened from 1886 until 1950. This replaced the earlier Theatre Royal. After a lengthy period of financial uncertainty, Derby Playhouse closed in February 2008. It was resurrected in September of that year after a new financing package was put together but forced to close again just two months later because of further financial problems. The lease was later bought by Derby University and the building was renamed Derby Theatre. Along with the Assembly Rooms and Guildhall Theatre, it was operated by Derby LIVE, the cultural arm of Derby City Council. In 2012 Derby University took over as sole operator of Derby Theatre; Sarah Brigham was appointed artistic director, and has been in post since January 2013. Derby QUAD, QUAD is a centre for art and film that opened in 2008. The building has two cinema screens showing independent and mainstream cinema, two gallery spaces housing contemporary visual arts, a digital studio, participation spaces, digital editing suites, artists studio and the British Film Institute, BFI Mediatheque. QUAD organises the annual Derby Film Festival, and the FORMAT international photography festival, held every two years at various venues throughout the city. The Robert Ludlam Theatre, on the campus of Saint Benedict Catholic School and Performing Arts College, is a 270-seat venue with a programme of entertainment including dance, drama, art, music, theatre in the round, comedy, films, family entertainment, rock and pop events and workshops. The theatre company Oddsocks is based in Derby and stages productions in the city and the surrounding area, as well as travelling the country. Déda, established in 1991, is the only dedicated dance house in the East Midlands region, acting as a local, regional and national resource for dance and aerial artists and contemporary circus. Déda houses a 124-capacity studio theatre, three dance studios, meeting room facilities and the CUBE café bar. It offers a weekly class programme and a year-round professional performance programme for children, young people and adults, and a community development programme. Déda now hosts a BA degree in Dance in partnership with the University of Derby. Derby Book Festival, first held in 2015, takes place in late spring/early summer, with events throughout the city. An additional "Autumn edition" was first held in October 2019. Derby Festé is a weekend street arts festival held at the end of September every year. The first Six Streets Arts trail was in June 2012, took place again in 2013 and will now be a biennial event. It includes strong input from the local History Network which was awarded a Heritage Lottery grant to pursue its work on marking the 100th anniversary of World War 1. John Dexter the theatre director and the actor Alan Bates were from Derby. John Osborne wrote his play ''Look Back in Anger'' in 1956 while living in Derby and working at Derby Playhouse.


Sport

Derby gained a high profile in sport following the appointment of Brian Clough as manager of Derby County F.C. in 1967. Promotion to the Football League First Division was achieved in 1969, and County were champions of the English league three years later. Following Clough's resignation in 1973, his successor Dave Mackay guided Derby County to another league title in 1975, but this remains to date the club's last major trophy; relegation followed in 1980 and top flight status was not regained until 1987, since when Derby have spent a total of 11 seasons (1987–1991, 1996–2002, 2007–2008) in the top flight. Other former managers of the club include Arthur Cox (footballer), Arthur Cox, Jim Smith (footballer, born 1940), Jim Smith, John Gregory (footballer), John Gregory and George Burley. Former players include Colin Todd, Roy McFarland (who both later had brief and unsuccessful stints as manager at the club), Dave Mackay, Peter Shilton, Dean Saunders, Craig Short, Marco Gabbiadini, Horacio Carbonari, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Steve Bloomer and Tom Huddlestone. The club moved from its century-old
Baseball Ground The Baseball Ground (sometimes referred to as the BBG) was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 19 ...
in 1997 to the new
Pride Park Stadium Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Derby, England, that is the home ground of English Football League club Derby County. With a capacity of 33,597, it is the 16th-largest football ground in England and the 20th-largest stad ...
. The club's most recent spell as a top-division (FA Premier League) club ended in May 2008 after just 2007-08 in English football, one season, during which the club won just one out of 38 league games and finished with just 11 points, the lowest in the history of the Premier League. There are three senior non-league football clubs based in the city. Mickleover Sports FC, Mickleover Sports play at Station Road, Mickleover, and are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, EvoStik Northern Premier League (the seventh level of the English football league system). Graham Street Prims FC, Graham Street Prims and Borrowash Victoria AFC, Borrowash Victoria are both members of the East Midlands Counties Football League, East Midlands Counties League (level ten) and play on adjacent grounds at the Asterdale complex in Spondon. Derbyshire County Cricket Club are based at the County Cricket Ground, Derby, County Ground in Derby and play almost all home matches there, although matches at Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield were re-introduced in 2006. One of the designated First class cricket, first class county sides, they have won the County Championship once, in 1936. Derby has clubs in both codes of rugby football, rugby. In rugby union, Derby RFC play in Midlands 1 East, Midlands Division One East (the sixth level of English rugby union) at their Haslams Lane ground. Rugby league team Derby City RLFC were formed in 1990 and compete in the Midlands Premier Division of the National Rugby League Conference. From 2008 they are ground-sharing with Derby RFC at Haslams Lane. The city is represented in the English Basketball League Division One by Derby Trailblazers, who play at the Moorways Sports Centre. They were formed in 2002 following the demise of British Basketball League side Derby Storm. Team Derby, based at
Derby Arena Derby Arena is a multi-use indoor arena and velodrome at Pride Park in Derby, England. It was opened in 2015 and has hosted cycling, badminton and entertainment events. Construction Construction was expected to be completed in November 2014 wi ...
, won the inaugural National Badminton League title in 2014–15. The Arena, opened in 2015, also contains a velodrome that has hosted the Revolution (cycling series), Revolution cycling series. Local industrialist Francis Ley introduced baseball to the town in the late 19th century, and built a Baseball Ground, stadium near the town centre. The attempt to establish baseball in Derby was unsuccessful, but the stadium survived for some 100 years afterwards as the home of Derby County Football Club. It was demolished in 2003, six years after County's move to Pride Park. Professional golfer Melissa Reid was born in Derby in 1987. She plays on the Ladies European Tour,Profile on Ladies European Tour's official site
and was a member of the victorious European Team in the 2011 Solheim Cup. Arthur Keily the marathon Running, runner and Olympics, Olympian was born in Derbyshire in 1921 and has lived his whole life in Derby. In 1960 Summer Olympics, Rome in 1960 he broke the English Olympic record, recording a time of 2 hours 27 mins.


Recreation

Derby Arboretum Derby Arboretum is a public park and arboretum in the city of Derby, England, located about south of the city centre in the Rose Hill area. It was opened in 1840, following the donation of the land by local philanthropist Joseph Strutt, and to ...
, donated to the town by local philanthropist Joseph Strutt (philanthropist), Joseph Strutt in 1840, was the first planned urban public park in the country. Although it suffered from neglect in the 1990s, it has been renovated. It has been claimed to have been one of the inspirations for Central Park in New York. Markeaton Park is Derby's most used leisure facility. Other major parks in the city include Allestree, Allestree Park, Darley Abbey, Darley Park, Chaddesden, Chaddesden Park, Alvaston, Alvaston Park, Normanton, Derbyshire, Normanton Park and Osmaston, Derby, Osmaston Park. Derby is believed to be one of the country's highest, if not the highest, ranking cities for parkland per capita. Darley Abbey, Darley and Derwent Parks lie immediately north of the city centre. Derby Rowing Club and Derwent Rowing Club are located on the banks of the river, where there is also a riverside walk and cycle path. On 10 November 2021, Derby City Council approved plans for the UK's first large-scale urban rewilding project, in Allestree Park.


Shopping and nightlife

Shopping in central Derby is divided into three main areas. These are the Cathedral Quarter, the St Peters Quarter and the Derbion shopping centre. The Cathedral Quarter was Derby's first BID (Business Improvement District), and includes a large range of shops, boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants. It is focused around the cathedral and the area around Irongate and Sadler Gate. It includes the Market place, the Guildhall and Assembly Rooms along with the City Museum and the Silk Mill industrial museum. The St Peters Quarter is Derby's second Business Improvement District, brought into effect in the summer of 2011. Its boundary with the Cathedral Quarter follows Victoria Street, beneath which flows the underground course of the Markeaton Brook. The quarter boasts a diverse range of retail shops, many of them, in Green Lane, Babington Lane, Osmaston Road and elsewhere, independent traders. St Peters Street, London Road and East Street also include a large choice of national retailers and pubs, restaurants, banks and offices. The quarter includes the historic St Peter's Church, Derby, St Peters Church and, on St Peter's Churchyard, the medieval Derby School building. Nearby also is the Old Courthouse and several other notable buildings. At the eastern end of the quarter is the bus station along with the Hilton Hotel and Holiday Inn, part of the Riverlights Development on the banks of the Derwent. Derbion is the city's main indoor shopping centre. It opened in 2007 as Westfield Derby after extension work costing £340 million, subsequently being sold to Intu in March 2014. It contains a food court and a 12-screen cinema (Showcase Cinemas, Showcase – Cinema De Lux) which was opened in May 2008. The development was controversial and local opponents accuse it of drawing trade away from the older parts of the city centre where independent shops are located. Some of these experienced a downturn in trade and some have ceased trading since the development opened leading to the "Lanes" project which eventually became the second BID and the formation of St Peters Quarter. In the centre itself, a combination of high rents and rising rates have made things difficult for smaller traders. The Friar Gate area contains clubs and bars, making it the centre of Derby's nightlife. Derby is also well provided with pubs and is renowned for its large number of real ale outlets. The oldest pub is the listed building, Grade II listed Ye Olde Dolphin Inne, dating from the late 16th century. Out-of-town shopping areas include the Kingsway Retail Park, off the A38; the Wyvern Retail Park, near Pride Park; and the Meteor Centre, on Mansfield Road.


Education

Like most of the UK, Derby operates a non-selective primary and secondary education system with no middle schools. Pupils attend infant and junior school (often in a combined primary school) before moving onto a secondary school. Many of the secondary schools have sixth forms, allowing pupils to optionally take Advanced Level (UK), A Levels after the end of compulsory education. For those who want to stay in education but leave school, the large Derby College provides post-16 courses for school leavers, apprentices and employer-related training. It has two main campuses: the Joseph Wright of Derby, Joseph Wright Centre in the centre of Derby, where its A Level courses are based, and the historical Derby Railway Works, Derby Roundhouse, the college's vocational training hub, providing a centre for apprenticeships such as engineering, catering and hair and beauty. The college also works in partnership with schools across the county to provide vocational training opportunities for students aged 14 upwards. Training for companies is undertaken through its Corporate College. Inside the state sector, there are 15 secondary schools. These are: Allestree Woodlands School, Alvaston Moor Academy, Bemrose School, Chellaston Academy, City of Derby Academy, Da Vinci Academy, Derby Manufacturing UTC, Derby Moor Academy, Derby Pride Academy, Landau Forte College, Lees Brook Community School, Littleover Community School, Merrill Academy, Murray Park School, Noel-Baker Academy, Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy and West Park School. Outside the state sector, there are three fee-paying independent schools. Derby Grammar School was founded in 1994 and was for boys only until 2007, when they accepted girls into the sixth form for the first time. They aim to continue the work and traditions of the former Derby School, which closed in 1989, one of the oldest schools in England. Derby High School, Derby, Derby High School is for girls-only for senior and sixth form and for girls and boys at primary level. Derby has special needs establishments including Ivy House School at the Derby Moor Community Sports College (which takes pupils from nursery to sixth form) and the Light House which is a respite care, respite facility for children and parents. Allestree Woodlands School have a Hearing Impaired department, and Saint Benedict have an Enhanced Resource Base for pupils to access specialised support within mainstream schooling. There also a number of alternative provision schools, including Derby Pride Academy. The University of Derby has its main campus on Kedleston Road. There is another campus in north Derbyshire at Buxton. In 2003 the University of Nottingham opened a graduate entry medical school based at Royal Derby Hospital. The university also has its School of Nursing and Midwifery there, having moved from its former home at the London Road Community Hospital in mid-2012.


Media

The ''Derby Telegraph'' (formerly the ''Derby Evening Telegraph'') is the city's daily newspaper. Crime writer Richard Cox set his first book around his own experience as a ''Derby Telegraph'' reporter in the 1970s. The ''Derby Trader'' was a free weekly newspaper that is no longer in print. BBC Radio Derby, the BBC's local station for Derbyshire and East Staffordshire, is based on St Helen's Street in the city and offers local, national and international news, features, music and sports commentaries. It is available on 104.5 FM and 1116 AM, on 95.3 FM in north and mid-Derbyshire and on 96.0 FM in the Buxton area, as well as being streamed on the internet. The BBC in Derby have their own local website for the area providing news, travel and weather information, as well as other features. Local television programmes are provided by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central. Capital Midlands is the biggest commercial radio station in the city, broadcasting to Derby on 102.8 FM from the transmitter at Drum Hill, just outside the city. It broadcasts a Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) format, with Top 40 chart hits aimed at the city's under-35s.


Notable people


Arts, literature and music

*Samuel Richardson (1689–1761), writer and printer *W. J. Coffee, William John Coffee (1774–1846), artist and sculptor, worked in porcelain, plaster, and terracotta *Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), landscape and portrait painter *John Raphael Smith (1751–1812), painter and mezzotint engraver, son of Thomas Smith (English painter), Thomas Smith *William Billingsley (artist), William Billingsley (1758–1828), painter of porcelain, founded Nantgarw Pottery *John Emes (1762–1810), engraver and water-colour painter *Elizabeth Bridget Pigot (1783–1866), correspondent, friend and biographic source for Lord Byron *Henry Lark Pratt (1805–1873), painter who trained in the porcelain industry *John Haslem (artist), John Haslem (1808–1884), china and enamel painter *Henry Britton (1843–1938), journalist in colonial Australia *Francis William Davenport (1847–1925), composer and music professor, born in Wilderslowe. *Charles Rann Kennedy (playwright), Charles Rann Kennedy (1871–1950), Anglo-American dramatist. *Ernest Townsend (1880–1944), portrait artist *Marion Adnams (1898–1995), painter, printmaker, and draughtswoman. *Ralph Downes (1904–1993), organist, designer of the organ in the Royal Festival Hall, London *Norah, Lady Docker (1906–1983), socialite, was said to be "gracelessly gaudy" *Ronald Binge (1910–1979), composer and arranger of light music *Eric Malpass (1910–1996), novelist, wrote humorous and witty descriptions of rural family life *Denny Dennis (1913–1993), romantic vocalist when British dance bands were at the peak of their popularity. *John Dexter (1925–1990), theatre, opera and film director. *Michael Rayner (1932–2015), opera singer, baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company *Turneramon, Richard Turner (born 1940), also known as Turneramon, an artist and poet *Anton Rippon (born 1944), journalist, author and publisher *Kevin Coyne (1944–2004), musician, film-maker and writer *Stephen Marley (writer), Stephen Marley (born 1946), author and video game designer of the Chia Black Dragon series *Peter Hammill (born 1948), singer-songwriter and founder of rock band Van der Graaf Generator *Stephen Layton (born 1966), choral conductor, founded the choir Polyphony (choir), Polyphony in 1986 *Jyoti Mishra (born 1966), sole member of White Town, the name of which was meant as a reference to Derby's perceived lack of diversity *Liam Sharp (born 1968), comic book artist, writer, publisher, and co-founder/CCO of Madefire Inc. *Graham Coxon (born 1969), musician and co-founder of Blur (band), Blur, lived for a short time as a child in nearby Spondon *Scott Harrison (writer), Scott Harrison (born 1973), novelist, scriptwriter, playwright and film historian. *Corey Mwamba (born 1976), jazz musician and BBC Radio 3 presenter *Steven Grahl (born 1979), Director of Music and Organist at Christ Church, Oxford. *Duncan Lloyd (born c. 1980), guitarist and singer *Jessica Garlick (born 1981), singer, was born in Derby *Lucy Ward (musician), Lucy Ward (born 1989), folk musician and songwriter *Youngman MC, Youngman (born c. 1990), MC and vocalist *Dubzy (born 1991), grime music MC and entrepreneur, raised in Derby *Drumsound & Bassline Smith (formed 1998), electronic group *The Struts (formed 2012), rock band


Films, theatre, TV and radio

*Rowena Cade (1893–1983), born in Spondon, created the Minack Theatre, Cornwall *Ted Moult (1926–1986), farmer and TV personality *Patricia Greene (born 1931), radio actress, long-standing role as matriarch Jill Archer in ''The Archers'' *Alan Bates (1934–2003), actor; in 1969 he co-starred in the Ken Russell film Women in Love (film), ''Women in Love'' *Michael Knowles (actor), Michael Knowles (born 1937), actor, played Capt. Jonathan Ashwood in the 1970s sitcom ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' *Gwen Taylor (born 1939), actress, played Amy Pearce in the sitcom ''Duty Free (TV series), Duty Free'' *Judith Hann (born 1942), presented BBC's ''Tomorrow's World'' between 1974 and 1994 *Kevin Lloyd (1949–1998), actor, played DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in ''The Bill'' *John Tams (born 1949), actor, singer, songwriter, composer and musician *Stuart Varney (born 1949), economic journalist for Fox News Channel *Richard Felix (born 1949), Ghost hunting, paranormal investigator from Stanley, Derbyshire, Stanley, appeared on Sky Living ''Most Haunted'' series *Terry Lloyd (1952–2003), TV journalist unlawfully killed in Iraq by US Marines *Maxwell Caulfield (born 1959), English-American film, stage, and television actor, based in the USA *Keiran Lee (born 1984), pornographic film actor, director and producer for Brazzers *Michael Socha (born 1987), actor, roles in the films ''This Is England'' and ''Summer (2008 film), Summer'' *Jack O'Connell (actor), Jack O'Connell (born 1990), actor, propensity for playing angry, troubled youth *Lauren Socha (born 1990), actor, played Kelly Bailey (Misfits), Kelly Bailey in E4 (channel), E4's television series ''Misfits (TV series), Misfits'' *Munya Chawawa (born 1993), British-Zimbabwean comedian born in Derby *Ewan Mitchell, actor, known for playing Osferth in ''The Last Kingdom (TV series), The Last Kingdom'' and Prince Aemond Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series ''House of the Dragon''


Academics, science, business and engineering

*John Flamsteed (1646–1719), astronomer, the first Astronomer Royal; he catalogued over 3000 stars * George Sorocold (c. 1668 – c. 1738), engineer and architect; designed Lombe's Mill * John Lombe (1693–1722), silk spinner in 18th-century Derby; created Lombe's Mill * John Whitehurst (1713–1788), clockmaker and scientist; early contributions to geology, member of the Lunar Society *William Hutton (historian), William Hutton (1723–1815), historian, poet and bookseller * Jedediah Strutt (1726–1797), hosier and cotton spinner, developed the production of ribbed stockings *
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...
(1731–1802), physician and philosopher *Henry Cavendish (1731–1810), scientist, experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist; discovered hydrogen *John Mawe (1764–1829), practical mineralogist, with his wife Sarah Mawe * James Fox (1780–1830), engineer, machine tool maker *Edward Blore (1787–1879), landscape and architectural artist, architect and antiquary *William George Spencer (1790–1866), schoolmaster, tutor and mathematical writer;
Derby Philosophical Society The Derby Philosophical Society was a club for gentlemen in Derby founded in 1783 by Erasmus Darwin. The club had many notable members and also offered the first institutional library in Derby that was available to some section of the public. P ...
* Andrew Handyside (1806–1887), iron founder, created The Handyside Postbox *Sir Charles Fox (1810–1874), civil engineer and contractor, focusing on railways, railway stations and bridges. *Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), pioneer of modern nursing *Herbert Spencer (1820–1903), philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and classical liberal political theorist *Parkin Jeffcock (1829–1866), mining engineer; died trying to Oaks explosion#Recovery attempts, day two, rescue miners *Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney (1843–1920), astronomer, chemist, photographer; described the Abney effect *Henry Royce, Sir Henry Royce (1863–1933), co-founder of Rolls-Royce *Gordon Pask (1928–1996), author, inventor, educational theorist, cybernetician and psychologist *Sir Nigel Rudd (born 1946), industrialist; founded Williams Holdings *John Loughhead (born 1948), businessman, Chief Scientific Adviser to Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, BEIS *John Smith (BBC executive), John Smith (born 1957), chief executive officer of BBC Worldwide *Mel Morris (businessman), Melvyn Morris (born c. 1957), businessman; former owner of Derby County F.C., made his money from Candy Crush Saga *Karl Slym (1962–2014), businessman, managing director of Tata Motors 2012–2014 *Christopher Jackson (geologist), Christopher Jackson (born 1977), scientist, broadcaster and professor of geology at Imperial College London.


Politics, religion and law

*Jasvinder Sanghera CBE (1965), author, and campaigner *Joan Waste (1534–1556), a blind woman who was burned in Derby for refusing to renounce her Protestant faith *John Cotton (minister), John Cotton (1585–1652), English and American Puritan divine, sometimes called "The Patriarch of New England" *Samuel Bourn the Elder (1648–1719), dissenting minister; his theology was Calvinistic *Thomas Bott (1688–1754), cleric of the Church of England, known as a controversialist *Daniel Coke (1745–1825), barrister and MP for Derby 1776–1780 and Nottingham 1780–1812 *Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens (1753–1839), diplomat, eponym of Mount St. Helens *Sir Charles John Crompton (1797–1865), justice of the queen's bench *William Mundy (MP), William Mundy (1801–1877), son of Francis Mundy, MP for South Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency), South Derbyshire and High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1844 *
Samuel Plimsoll Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 – 3 June 1898) was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line (a line on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe draught, and therefore the minimum fr ...
(1825–98), politician, Liberal MP for Derby, inventor of the Plimsoll line *Sir Henry Wilmot, 5th Baronet, Sir Henry Wilmot (1831–1901), Victoria Cross recipient, MP for South Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency), South Derbyshire 1869–1885 *Robert Humpston (1832–1884), recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the Crimean War *Walter Weston (1860–1940), clergyman and Anglican missionary, popularized mountaineering in Japan *Alice Wheeldon (1866–1919), pacifist and anti-war campaigner. *Jacob Rivers (1881–1915), recipient of the Victoria Cross for action in World War I *Alfred Waterson (1880–1964), Labour and Co-operative MP for Kettering (UK Parliament constituency), Kettering 1918–1922 *Brigadier Charles Edward Hudson, Charles Hudson (1892–1959), British Army Victoria Cross recipient *Freda Bedi (1911–1977), social worker, writer and Gelongma, ordained in Tibetan Buddhism *Geoffrey Lane, Baron Lane (1918–2005), judge who served as Lord Chief Justice 1980–1992 *Chris Moncrieff (1931–2019), parliamentary journalist, political editor of the Press Association 1980–1994 *Dame Margaret Beckett (born 1943), Labour politician, MP for
Derby South Derby South () is a constituency formed of part of the city of Derby represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1983 by veteran MP Margaret Beckett of the Labour Party. She has served under the Labour governments of Haro ...
since 1983 *Dafydd Wigley (born 1943), Plaid Cymru MP for Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency), Caernarfon 1974–2001 *Bob Laxton (born 1944), Labour politician, MP for Derby North 1997–2010 *Geoff Hoon (born 1953), Labour politician, MP for Ashfield (UK Parliament constituency), Ashfield 1992–2010 *Helen Clark (British politician), Helen Clark (born 1954), Labour politician, MP for Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency), Peterborough 1997–2005 *Chris Williamson (politician), Chris Williamson (born 1956), Labour politician, MP for Derby North 2010–2015 and 2017–2019


Sports

*Tom Johnson (bareknuckle boxer), Tom Johnson (c. 1750–1797), Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle fighter *George Malcolm Fox (1843–1918), Inspector of Gymnasia for the British Army (1890–1897, 1900–1902) *Steve Bloomer (1874–1938), footballer and manager, played for Derby County and Middlesbrough FC, 598 pro appearances *Charlie Hudson (1874–1958), pigeon racer, winner of the Rome–England champion race in 1913 with The King of Rome *Oliver Burton (1879–1929), professional footballer who played for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. *Reg Parnell (1911–1964), racing driver and team manager *Louis Martin (weightlifter), Louis Martin (1936–2015), weightlifter, Olympic silver medallist, 1964 *Mark Hateley (born 1961), former footballer who played as a centre forward *Mark Robinson (darts player), Mark Robinson (born 1963), Professional Darts Corporation, PDC darts player *Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling administrator, currently with Team Ineos *Max Sciandri (born 1967), professional cyclist and Olympic medallist *Rufus Brevett (born 1969), footballer with nearly 500 professional appearances *Steve Holland (footballer), Steve Holland (born 1970), former professional footballer, coach for Crewe Alexandra FC, Crewe Alexandra and Chelsea FC, Chelsea *Colin Osborne (born 1975), Professional Darts Corporation, PDC darts player *Donna Kellogg MBE (born 1978) badminton player, competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics *Russell Sexton (born 1978), former English cricketer *Chris Riggott (born 1980), footballer, over 200 pro appearances *Bobby Hassell (born 1980), footballer, over 380 pro appearances *Damien Walters (born 1982), stuntman, gymnast and freerunning, free runner *Kevin Hollis (born 1983), cricketer *Chris Palmer (footballer), Chris Palmer (born 1983), footballer, over 230 pro appearances *Hemish Ilangaratne (born 1987), cricketer *Melissa Reid (born 1987), golfer *Jonathan Joseph (rugby union), Jonathan Joseph (born 1991), England international professional rugby union player *Jamaal Lascelles (born 1993) footballer, captain of Newcastle United F.C. *Ben Osborn (born 1994), footballer *Sarah Vasey (born 1996), swimmer, Swimming at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's 50 metre breaststroke, 50 metre breaststroke gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. *Jay Clarke (tennis), Jay Clarke (born 1998), tennis player *Markus Poom (born 1999), Estonian Estonia national football team, international footballer, born in Derby.


International relations


Osnabrück partnership treaty

Derby is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with Osnabrück in Germany. The partnership treaty between the two cities was signed on 17 February 1976. The twinning agreement with Derby was in the historical Hall of Peace in Osnabrück's Rathaus (town hall). Every year, Derby and Osnabrück each appoint an envoy who spends twelve months in the twin city. The envoy promotes the exchange of ideas between the two cities and acts as an educational and information officer to increase awareness of the twinning scheme. The envoy gives talks to local societies and schools, finds pen friends and short-term host families during work placements, works to assist groups who want to get involved in twinning by identifying and approaching possible counterparts and plans the annual May Week trip. There is an annual exchange between the wind bands of John Port Spencer Academy, Etwall, and its twin school Gymnasium Melle in Melle, Germany, Melle, Germany, Districts of Germany, District of Osnabrücker Land. An exchange was established in 2009 between Allestree Woodlands School and the Gymnasium Angelaschule in Osnabrück. This exchange was originally based on a drama project by both schools in June 2009, which included performances in both cities with over 1600 visitors. It is now a language and culture exchange between the two schools, run by the German department at Allestree Woodlands School. The exchange of envoys between two cities is very unusual. The envoy in Osnabrück changes every year and Osnabrück also sends envoys to Derby, Angers and Çanakkale. No other city in Germany participates in this exchange of envoys, and in Britain, only one other town, Wigan, receives and sends an envoy.


List of twin towns

*Osnabrück, Germany *Kapurthala, India (friendship link) *Haarlem, Netherlands (friendship link) *Foncquevillers, France (friendship link) *Toyota City, Japan *Changzhi, People's Republic of China (Memorandum of Understanding) *Keene, New Hampshire, Keene, New Hampshire (Keene State College student exchange programme) *Hebron (Derby became a sister-city with this Palestinian city in 2014)


Freedom of the City

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City of Derby.


Individuals

*Brian Clough, Brian Howard Clough : 3 May 2003. *Adam Peaty, Adam George Peaty : 9 October 2016. *Reg Harrison, Reginald Frederick Harrison: 5 February 2019.


Military units

* The Royal Navy Submarine Service, Royal Naval Submarine Service: 28 April 2002. * The Mercian Regiment: 2007.


Notes


References


Bibliography


External links


*
Derby City Council website
{{authority control Derby, Cities in the East Midlands Towns in Derbyshire Non-metropolitan districts of Derbyshire Railway towns in England Unitary authority districts of England Former county towns in England Unparished areas in Derbyshire Boroughs in England