Derby

Derby (pronounced DAR-bee) is a city in Derbyshire, England. Purportedly the UK's most 'central' city and promoted as a base for exploring the Peak District, this city of 260,000 people (2021) also boasts modern shopping facilities and a number of visitor attractions in and around the surrounding area.

For other places with the same name, see Derby (disambiguation).

Understand

Derby was the site of Lombe's Mill, the first fully mechanised factory in the world, built in 1721. Railway engineering starting in 1840 in Derby, and continued with the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works. The city is now the site of the UK's only remaining locomotive manufacturer. Rolls-Royce opened a car and aircraft factory in the town in 1907; today the aero-engine manufacturer is the largest engineering employer in the area. Car maker Toyota has a manufacturing and assembly plant in Burnaston, just south of Derby. On 8 October 2021 it was announced that Derby was included in the long list of bids to host UK City of Culture 2025.

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport is 🌍 East Midlands Airport (EMA IATA). The Skylink Derby bus runs from the airport to Derby and is operated by Kinchbus. The Skylink service runs every 20 minutes during the daytime and half-hourly at other times (with a 24-hour service), and also serves Leicester.

By train

🌍 Derby Station has good rail links. East Midlands Railways operates express trains from London St Pancras, Leicester and Sheffield. It also runs local services to destinations including Nottingham, Matlock, Stoke-on-Trent and to parts of Lincolnshire. Crosscountry operates services to the North East, Scotland, the South West, the South Coast and the West Midlands. Train times are available from National Rail Enquiries (+44 8457 484950).

By bus

🌍 Derby Bus Station is served by coaches operated by National Express from around the country. The 'Comet' bus service by Trent Barton connects the city to Chesterfield while the 'Red Arrow' runs to Nottingham at very regular intervals on weekdays and weekends. The 'Transpeak' bus service by High Peak connects Derby with the Peak District and Manchester.

Get around

By bus

Most local bus services are operated by Arriva and Trent Barton. See the Derbyshire County Council public transport website for timetables and information for all buses. Public transport in the city is not particularly good value, especially compared to similar cities.

There are two park and ride services running from Meteor Centre in the north and Pride Park in the east.

On foot

Derby is a compact city making it very approachable for pedestrians.

See

  • 🌍 Derby Market Hall, The Market Place, DE1 2FS, ☏ +44 1332 255653. This Grade-II listed building is the work of Melbourne (Derbyshire) engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, and was completed in 1866. As of April 2023, it is closed for renovation.
  • 🌍 Derby Arboretum. England's first public park, deeded to the town of Derby in 1840.
  • 🌍 Royal Crown Derby, 194 Osmaston Road, ☏ +44 1332 712800. A factory producing fine china, part of Derby's history. Contact the factory to schedule a tour.
  • 🌍 Museum of Making (formerly the Silk Mill, and Derby Industrial Museum), Silk Mill Lane, ☏ +44 1332 255308. M closed, Tu W Sa 10AM-5PM, Th F 10AM-7PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Celebrating the area’s rich history of innovation, telling Derby’s 300-year history of making to inspire new creativity on what is widely regarded as the site of the world’s first factory. Entry is free. Visitors do not need to pre-book for general admission, but are advised to pre-book tickets for special exhibitions.
  • 🌍 Derby Museum and Art Gallery, The Strand, ☏ +44 1332 716659, fax: +44 1332 716670. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-4PM, Bank Holidays closed. Features collections of porcelain created in Derby since 1750. Other displays include archaeology, military history, geology and natural history. The art gallery has a large collection of paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby. Free.
  • 🌍 Pickford's House, 41 Friargate, ☏ +44 1332 255363. M 11AM-5PM, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 2-5PM, holidays 2PM-5PM. Unique museum of Georgian life and historic costume. Well worth visiting. Free.
  • 🌍 Derby Cathedral, Cathedral Centre: 18-19 Iron Gate, Derby DE1 3GP, ☏ +44 1332 341201. Though not one of the most spectacular of English cathedrals (it was a "mere" parish church until 1927), the cathedral has an impressive 16th-century tower (which is occasionally open for some spectacular views across Derby); most of the rest is early Georgian, with an east-end extension in matching style completed in 1972. Highlights include a painted wrought-iron screen by the renowned local smith Robert Bakewell (1682–1751) and memorials to Bess of Hardwick, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and Florence Nightingale. Peregrine Falcons have nested on the tower for several years and volunteers are on hand with telescopes for viewing during spring and early summer (go to http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.co.uk/ for current dates).
  • 🌍 St Mary's Chapel, Bridge Gate. 14th-century bridge chapel, one of the oldest surviving buildings in Derby and one of the few surviving bridge chapels in England. A picturesque little building next to the River Derwent, still hosting regular services but with limited opening times otherwise.
  • 🌍 Derby Gaol, 50-51 Friar Gate, ☏ +44 800 027 7928.
  • 🌍 Elvaston Castle Country Park, Borrowash Road, Elvaston. 321 acres of open parkland, woodland and more formal historical gardens surrounding a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle. Has in the last few years been lacking attention and investment.
  • 🌍 Kedleston Hall, near Quarndon, DE22 5JH, ☏ +44 1332 842191, . The home of the Curzon family which was constructed in 1759. This neoclassical hall had particular controversy as the Curzon's forced the village of Kedleston to relocate several miles away with the exception of the All Saints' church which stayed put.
  • 🌍 Banks Mill, 71 Bridge Street, DE1 3LB, ☏ +44 1332 597866, . An innovation space for creative and digital industries, with a rolling programme of exhibitions and open studio events featuring residents and members.
  • 🌍 Artcore Gallery, 8 Albert Street, OsnabrΓΌck Square, Derby DE1 2DS, ☏ +44 1332 366623, . Mβ€’F 9:30AMβ€’5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. International centre for contemporary art and creativity. Exhibitions, studios, work spaces, shop and cafe.
  • 🌍 Electric Daisy, 1-4 Bold Lane, DE1 3NTο»Ώ, ☏ +44 1332 366623, . Open garden F-Sa 10AMβ€’4PM. Other events as posted on the website. Community garden, with a programme of events, open days and workshops running throughout the season. Run by Down to Earth, Derby. Open garden free. Other events: prices on the website.

Do

Events

  • FORMAT: 15 March β€“ 30 July 2024. The UK’s leading festival of international photography, established in 2004. 20th birthday celebration.
  • Derby Book Festival - Summer Festival.: 30 May β€“ 4 June 2024. Celebrating the joy of books and reading for all ages and interests. Various venues across the city centre.
  • Furthest From The Sea Festival: tba June 2024. Music, comedy, arts, workshops (date needs fixing)
  • Cathedral Quarter Street Circus: 10 August 2024. 11AM-4PM. Free to attend. Daring acrobatics, hilarious characters - something for everyone to enjoy!
  • Cathedral Summer Organ Concerts: tba August 2024, 18-19 Iron Gate, DE1 3GP☏ +44 1332 341201. Th evenings, 7:15PM-8:30PM. Cathedral musicians, plus some of the UK's most celebrated organists. (date needs fixing)
  • 🌍 Darley Park Weekender: 30 August β€“ 1 September 2024, Darley Park, DE1 3AY☏ +44 1332 255800. 3-day music event, in the natural amphitheatre of Darley Park - 80s Mix Tape, Ultimate 90s, plus the Darley Park Concert, with Sinfonia Viva and fireworks in one of the UK’s biggest outdoor classical concerts.
  • Derby Folk Weekend: 11–13 October 2024. Ticketed events in The Old Bell Hotel, Sadlergate, plus free music and dance on the streets of the Cathedral Quarter.
  • Derby Poetry Festival: 2–6 October 2024. Developing new writing talent in Derby and bring excellent work to the city.
  • Derby Book Festival - Autumn edition: 15–18 November 2024. Venues to be announced.
  • Banks Mill Open Studios: 22–24 November 2024, 71 Bridge Street, DE1 3LB. Meet over 50 artists, designers, makers and creative services providers.
  • Derby FestΓ©: tba September 2025. Spectacular weekend of street arts events around the city centre. (date needs fixing)

Learn

Buy

  • 🌍 Derbion (formerly intu Derby), West Ave, DE1 2PL, ☏ +44 1332 366383. M-W 9AM-6PM, Th F 9AM-8PM, Sa 9AM-7PM, Su 10:30AM-4:30PM. Derby's main shopping centre is the Β£340m Derbion, which opened as 'Westfield Derby' in 2007 and offers a wide range of shops selling merchandise at competitive prices . As well as a state-of-the-art, 12-screen Cinema De Lux, Derbion has a spacious food court which offers a wide diversity of international cuisine as well as the usual fast food outlets.
  • 🌍 Cathedral Quarter (near the old Market Place). Those spending time in the city should also visit the quaint streets and old market hall, with its specialist shops, lush green spaces and some really comfortable bars and restaurants.
  • 🌍 Wyvern Retail Park, Wyvern Way, Chaddesden. On the outskirts of the town, includes Sainsbury's, Boots, Homecare, Clark's and a number of fast food chains.
  • 🌍 Meteor Centre, Mansfield Road. Retail park includes Morrisons supermarket and PC World.
  • 🌍 Seasons by Bennetts, 53 Sadler Gate, DE1 3NQ. The World's oldest department store, established in 1734, although this shop only opened in 2021 after two years of only trading online.

Eat

Derby is an excellent place to get an Indian curry. Obviously plenty of great fish & chips shops, but don't miss the steak-and-kidney pie and mushy peas. Another local staple is a cob -; no, not the horse but a filled bread roll.

English

  • 🌍 The Kitchen, 47 Sadlergate. Breakfast and lunch menus.
  • 🌍 The Royal Oak, 55 Green Lane, Ockbrook (7 km, Bus 9 every 2 hours not evenings or Sundays), ☏ +44 1332 662378. Real ale pub that serves real English food. Need to book a table to get a proper Sunday roast dinner.

Indian

Chinese

Italian

Spanish

Japanese

Thai

Greek

Mexican

French

As with most major cities the usual chains such as Nando's, Pizza Express, Frankie & Benny's, Zizzi, La Tasca and Old Orleans are all to be found in the city.

Drink

Derby's nightlife is among the safest in the country, having won multiple Purple Flags. Pub crawls are often organized by the real ale campaign, or if all night raves are your thing, Derby boasts some exciting clubs open until 4AM.

The majority of bars in Derby are found on Friar Gate, Sadler Gate and Iron Gate. One of the best is Bar Lisi on Sadler Gate, which is nice and intimate.

Derby is noted for pubs serving a range of real ales and is home to about a dozen microbreweries (small breweries). A few pubs worthy of a visit within the city centre area are:

  • 🌍 Ye Olde Dolphin Inne, Queen Street, ☏ +44 1332 267711. Derby's oldest pub, with lots of character. The pub has several small rooms and an outside, partially-covered seating area which houses the pub's beer festivals at various intervals throughout the year. Food at reasonable prices is served throughout the day and the evening and there is also an Γ  la carte restaurant upstairs, although not open every night. There is always a good range of well-kept beers. General knowledge quiz on Sundays, music quiz on Tuesdays. Ghost walks can also be booked here.
  • 🌍 The Old Bell Hotel, 51 Sadler Gate Derby, DE1 3NQ, ☏ +44 1332 723090, . Su-Th noon-11PM; F Sa noon-1:30PM. Derby's last surviving coaching inn, built 1650.
  • 🌍 The Flowerpot, 23-25 King Street, ☏ +44 1332 204955. This is a lively and atmospheric pub on the northern edge of the city centre that serves a wide range of real ales, including some of its own microbrewery ales.
  • 🌍 The Brunswick, 1 Railway Terrace, ☏ +44 1332 290677. The original microbrewery pub in Derby, near the train station in a characterful old railway building. The choice of beer on tap here has to be seen to be believed; a place not to be missed!
  • 🌍 The Standing Order, 28-32 Iron Gate, ☏ +44 1332 207591. Located on Irongate in a former bank, this pub has a truly impressive interior as well as a good selection of real ale. The Standing Order is a Wetherspoons pub.
  • 🌍 The Seven Stars, 97 King Street, ☏ +44 1332 340169. Traditional pub with real ales housed in a timber-framed building of around 1680.
  • 🌍 The Abbey, Darley Street (2.5 km, pleasant walk along the river), ☏ +44 1332 558297. Traditional pub in remaining building of an Augustinian Abbey.
  • 🌍 Malt Shovel, Potter Street, Spondon (5km, frequent buses), ☏ +44 1332 674203. Traditional pub interior.
  • 🌍 The Cow, The Green, Dalbury Lees DE6 5BE, ☏ +44 1332 824297. Daily noon-11PM. Excellent country pub with food, dog-friendly. Also has 12 rooms, B&B double Β£130.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

  • 🌍 The Cow at Dalbury, The Green, Dalbury DE6 5BE, ☏ +44 1332 824297. Gastropub with rooms on the village green. B&B double Β£140.

Connect

As of March 2024, Derby and its approach roads have 5G from all UK carriers.

Go next

Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

  • Ashbourne β€” market town in attractive location near Dovedale and the Tissington Trail
  • Buxton and The Peak District β€” one of the major national parks in the UK, a beautiful area for hillwalking, mountain biking, camping, climbing etc.
  • Carsington Water for a number of water-based leisure activities, between Wirksworth and Ashbourne
  • Cromford, part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
  • Matlock Bath β€” around 45 minutes north up the A6 or Derwent Valley rail line, this spa town resembles a seaside town without the sea, due to the number of fish & chip shops and amusement arcades. Nightly illuminations each autumn. Very popular with motorcyclists.
  • Nottingham β€” home of the legend of Robin Hood, nowadays a popular destination for 'city breaks' thanks to its shopping and entertainment attractions.
  • Sheffield β€” large city world-renowned for its steel industry and to another extent its cultural achievements, particularly in the area of popular music.
  • Wirksworth β€” historic market town
  • Discover some of the small villages south of the city such as Melbourne and Shardlow. Maybe try a pint in a country pub.
Routes through Derby
Sheffield ← Mansfield ←  N  S  β†’ East Midlands Airport β†’ Leicester
Peak District ← Belper ←  N  SE  β†’ Shardlow β†’ East Midlands Airport
Birmingham ← Burton-upon-Trent ←  SW  N  β†’ Ripley β†’ Mansfield
Stoke-on-Trent ← Uttoxeter ←  W  E  β†’ merges with until Leicester
Leek ← Ashbourne ←  W  E  β†’ Beeston β†’ Nottingham


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