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Focus On... Derby

Derby city centre caféDerby city centre café

Compact it may be, but Derby manages to pack in a huge range of attractions, events and activities – not least of all, the shopping…

 
With many of its stores set around attractively paved and largely traffic-free streets, the city centre is an ideal shopper-friendly place to visit for a packed day of retail therapy. Exclusive designer shops and specialist outlets nestle side by side with the big high street names and there's always something new to be discovered around every corner. The Georgian facades of Sadlergate lend an air of sophistication to the street’s cafés, pubs and restaurants, while its fascinating mix of independent shops sell everything from boutique fashion, flowers, gifts and homeware to cameras, curtains and CDs!
 
Unique to Derby, the prestigious Bennett's department store on Irongate is a delightful reminder of past times. Established in 1734 as an ironmongers and hardware store, Bennett’s is now known for its range of high quality gifts and homeware, while its excellent galleried café and bistro is the perfect venue in which to relax, enjoy a coffee or lunch and watch the world pass by.
 
For one-stop indoor shopping, be sure to head for Westfield Derby, one of the largest city centre indoor shopping malls in the UK and home to many of the larger, well-known chain stores as well as an excellent indoor market.
 
 
To market, to market…
Markets really are at the core of Derby city life and there’s an almost endless array of goods and produce available from the permanent stalls in Westfield Derby, as well as in the imposing St.Pancras Station-styled Guildhall Market and the nearby Fish Market.
 
Or you can take your pick from the excellent range of local products available at regular Farmers’ Markets, which are held on the third Thursday of each month in the central Market Place. Alternatively, browse through the bargains and perhaps unearth a treasure or two at the numerous antiques and collectors’ fairs throughout the year.
 
One thing’s for sure - whether you’re shopping for broccoli, brooches, brocade or brie, you’ll find everything you need and more right in the heart of the city!
 
Eating Out...
 
Derby City Trail Guides
Trail Guides are a superb way of discovering Derby's stories and secrets. Each trail includes a route, descriptive text and interpretation, map, difficulty ratings for walkers and cyclists, as well as things to see and do along the way.
 
 
Click the links below to download pdfs of the following trails:
 
 
After a hard morning's shopping, you can sit back and relax in one of the city’s many excellent eateries – Derby’s thriving multi-cultural mix ensures there’s always a huge choice of traditional and international cuisine available – from sophisticated restaurants and bistros to take-aways, fast food outlets, cafés and tea-shops, you’re guaranteed to find something to tempt even the most jaded palate!
 
For an oasis of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the city centre, take a stroll up Irongate to Derby Cathedral, which not only has the oldest ring of ten bells in the world but also lays claim to having the second highest perpendicular tower in England.
 
Notable for its unique wrought iron screen, crafted by renowned Melbourne-based ironsmith Robert Bakewell in 1736, as well as the stunning contemporary stained glass windows, designed by Welsh artist Ceri Richards in 1965, the Cathedral is the final resting place of Bess of Hardwick, Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury – the second wealthiest and most powerful woman of the Tudor age after Queen Elizabeth the First.
 
Over the road at the Cathedral Centre Coffee and Gift Shop, you’ll find one-stop nourishment for both the spirit and the stomach! The Gift Shop has a wide selection of high quality merchandise and books on offer, while the award-winning Coffee Shop not only has a great choice of teas, coffees and other drinks, but also serves delicious light meals, snacks and cakes, many of which are sourced from local farmers and producers.
 
Hand gilding at Royal Crown DerbyHand gilding at Royal Crown Derby
Pottering about…
Royal Crown Derby has been manufactured in the city since the mid 1700s and has since become one of Derby’s best-loved exports. The Visitor Centre’s guided tours of the working factory are complemented by excellent displays of its world famous chinaware, some dating back as far back as 1754.
 
The factory shop has excellent discounts on first and second quality goods but if you’re looking for a unique memento of your visit, choose an exclusive paperweight – only available in the shop or from a small selection of overseas retailers. Round off your visit with a freshly cooked meal, light lunch or snack in the fully licensed Duesbury Restaurant – all served, of course, on the finest Royal Crown Derby Chatsworth bone china!
 
  
Good things come in threes…
After having fed the stomach, Derby’s three museums are a great starting point if you want to feed the mind - what’s more, all have free entry!

The Silk Mill – Derby’s Museum of Industry and History, on the banks of the River Derwent, is part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and stands on the site of the world's oldest factories. The museum pays tribute to the city’s key role as an industrial centre with displays featuring Rolls Royce aero engines and the railway industry, as well as important local industries like mining, pottery and foundries.
 
Or step back in time with a visit to the Grade 1 listed Pickford's House Museum of Georgian Life & Costume on Friargate and witness what life would have been like in Georgian times. As well as the period living and bedrooms, there’s a reconstruction of a Georgian kitchen complete with housekeeper's cupboard and a period kitchen garden, together with displays of toys, costumes, textiles and even a 1940s cellar equipped as an air-raid shelter.
 
Derby MuseumDerby MuseumDerby Museum and Art Gallery has many fine works on display, including a superb collection of paintings by one of Derby’s most famous sons, Joseph Wright. The museum also features a fascinating range of displays of artefacts and antiquities covering the natural world, social history and militaria, as well as a regular programme of temporary exhibitions.
 
Still on the theme of threes, The National Trust has three superb properties all situated within a 10 mile radius of the city. The Robert Adam-designed Kedleston Hall, home of the Curzon family, boasts some of the finest unaltered Adam interiors in England, while the magnificent state rooms are home to a stunning collection of paintings and furniture. There’s also a fascinating array of objects on display in the Hall’s Eastern Museum, collected by Lord Curzon at the turn of the 20th century during his term of office as the Viceroy of India. The part-restored 18th century gardens are renowned for their fine displays of azaleas and rhododendrons, while the extensive surrounding parkland, also designed by Adam, is notable for its series of lakes and cascades, fishing pavilion and bridge.
 
Set amidst historic parkland to the south of Derby is the baroque mansion, Calke Abbey – a great day out if you’re with the kids as it is considered the Trust’s most child-friendly and fun property! With interiors largely unchanged since the late 1800s, the Abbey’s highlights also include an intriguing natural history collection as well as underground tunnels, secret garden and restored Orangery. 
 
 
Of Goals, Ales and Spirits!
 
If you’re a football fan, a visit to Derby County FC’s Pride Park Stadium for a Rams Football Weekend is a treat not to be missed! As well as watching The Rams romp home to victory (sadly, not guaranteed!) you’ll be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the magnificent stadium and enjoy a full weekend of footy-themed activities.
 
Derby is probably the best city for real ale in the country, with more than 120 real ale pubs, three breweries within the city and two CAMRA festivals each year. Find out why it's the perfect destination for the beer buff on a Derby Real Ale Break. 
 
Or go straight to gaol and find out what life behind bars was like for the city’s criminals and debtors at the Derby Gaol on Friargate. Said to be one of the most haunted places in Britain, the gaol is now a museum where you can take a guided tour and even experience a lock-in on occasional weekend evenings. To immerse yourself fully in the city's ghoulish connections, book a Derby Ghost Break... if you have the nerve!
 
 
 
 
 

Or take a Meet the Butler tour at the magnificent late 17th century Sudbury Hall and get a real taste of life below stairs. Some of the Hall’s sumptuous interiors were used in the BBC’s recent production of Pride and Prejudice, while the National Trust’s excellent Museum of Childhood is also based here. As well as displays of games, toys and dolls, there are fascinating displays about the life of children from the 18th century onwards, together with a Victorian schoolroom and ‘chimney climbs’ suitable for any adventurous sweep-sized kids in your party - show them what life was really like in the ‘olden days’!
 
Derby Does It!
There’s an unmistakeable sense of energy and vitality to the city these days, not leastwise because there’s just so much to see and do here. And it’s a sense captured perfectly by the city’s new marketing slogan, Derby Does It – because, it seems, Derby really does do it all!
 
 
 

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