Derby

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

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.

Understand

World Heritage Site: The Derby Industrial Museum; Silk Mill

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.

• Visit Derby tourist information

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport is 1 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

2 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

3 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

• 1 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. It is closed for renovation, and is scheduled to re-open in Spring 2025 (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 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.  
• 3 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. (updated May 2022)
• 4 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. (updated Oct 2016)
• 5 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. (updated Sep 2016)
• 6 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).  
• 7 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. 
• 8 Derby Gaol, 50-51 Friar Gate, ☏ +44 800 027 7928.  
• 9 Kedleston Hall, near Quarndon, DE22 5JH, ☏ +44 1332 842191, kedlestonhall@nationaltrust.org.uk. 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. (updated Oct 2016)
• 10 Banks Mill, 71 Bridge Street, DE1 3LB, ☏ +44 1332 597866, banksmill@derby.ac.uk. An innovation space for creative and digital industries, with a rolling programme of exhibitions and open studio events featuring residents and members. (updated Sep 2019)
• 11 Artcore Gallery, 8 Albert Street, Osnabrück Square, Derby DE1 2DS, ☏ +44 1332 366623, info@artcoreuk.com. M‒F 9:30AM‒5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. International centre for contemporary art and creativity. Exhibitions, studios, work spaces, shop and cafe. (updated May 2022)
• 12 Electric Daisy, 1-4 Bold Lane, DE1 3NT, ☏ +44 1332 366623, team@dtederby.org. Open garden F-Sa 10AM‒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. (updated Jul 2023)

Do

• Go on a ghost walk in the UK's second 'most haunted' town. For example: Derby ghost walks and Cathedral Quarter
• 1 Darley Park walk. Take a walk up the Derwent to Darley Park. 
• 2 Derby Arboretum. England's first publicly owned, landscaped, urban, recreational park, deeded to the town of Derby in 1840.  

Elvaston Castle

• 3 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. (updated Apr 2021)
• 4 Derby County FC, Pride Park, Royal Way DE24 8XL, ☏ +44 1332 667532. "The Rams" were promoted in 2024 and now play football (soccer) in the Championship, the second tier. Pride Park Stadium, capacity 33,000, is off A6 at the southeast edge of town. (updated May 2024)
• 5 Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Grandstand Road. Watch a game of cricket.  
• 6 Derby Live, ☏ +44 1332 255800. Music, touring theatre and other live performances in various city venues. (updated Apr 2023)
• 7 QUAD, Market Place, ☏ +44 1332 290606. 2-screen cinema, gallery, café bar, workshop, BFI Mediatheque. Co-organiser of FORMAT, the UK’s leading festival of international photography. (updated Jul 2022)
• 8 Derby Theatre, 15 Theatre Walk, St Peter's Quarter, ☏ +44 1332 593939. In-house and touring productions.  
• 9 Markeaton Park. Public park with children's playground and paddling pool, crazy golf and craft village. 
• 10 Derby Riverboat, Phoenix Green Boat Station, DE1 2EB, info@derbycanal.org.uk. Apr-Oct: W Sa Su and Bank Holiday afternoons, 12:30PM, 1:45PM, 3PM. Enjoy a passenger boat trip along the UK's most bio-diverse urban river, with commentary recorded by Sir David Suchet. (updated Sep 2023)
• 11 Allestree Park (off A6 approx 3 miles (4.8 km) north of city centre; buses to Belper and beyond pass regularly). The wildest and most scenic of Derby’s parks, a mixture of woodland, open parkland, a lake and a Grade II*-listed hall. Site of the largest urban rewilding project in the UK, in progress. (updated Jul 2024)

• 12 Derby Arena, Royal Way, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8JB (approx 1.5 miles (2.4 km) SE of city centre, off A6, also via A52), ☏ +44 1332 640011, derbyarena@derby.gov.uk. Sport, fitness and performance venue. The Midlands' hub for track cycling. (updated Aug 2024)

Events

• Displaced: From the Nile to the Derwent: 5 July – 24 November 2024. Derby Museum’s Egyptian collection is re-examined in a thought-provoking exhibition, enhanced by loans from national museums
• Derby Season of Light: 11 October – 8 December 2024. Celebrating Derby's dazzling diversity and creativity. Bringing communities and cultures together - embracing various festivals including Diwali, Rabi’ Al-Awwal, Hanukkah, Bonfire Night, Christmas, and the upcoming Chinese New Year which all share the common theme of 'light'.
• Derby Book Festival - Book and craft market: 23 November 2024. 10:30AM - 4PM, in the Museum of Making
• Banks Mill Open Studios: 22–24 November 2024, 71 Bridge Street, DE1 3LB. Meet over 50 artists, designers, makers and creative services providers.
• Christmas Lights Switch On & Festive Derby opening.: 30 November 2024, Corporation Street. Celebrate the start of Festive Derby, with free live entertainment in the Cathedral Quarter, followed by a stage show full of local and community acts and presented by Smooth Radio. From 4PM
• Cathedral Quarter Ice Rink 2024: 30 November – 31 December 2024, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter. Get your skates on and glide onto this year’s ice rink at Cathedral Green, with views of the river, and a twinkling backdrop of trees. Hours vary - check website.
• FORMAT: tba March 2025. The UK’s leading festival of international photography, established in 2004. (date needs fixing)
• Derby Book Festival - Summer Festival 10th anniversary: 23 May – 1 June 2025. Celebrating the joy of books and reading for all ages and interests. Various venues.
• Furthest From The Sea Festival: tba June 2025. Music, comedy, arts, workshops (date needs fixing)
• Derby Caribbean Carnival: tba July 2025. A day of music, dance, and cultural celebration. (date needs fixing)
• Derby Cathedral Summer Organ Concerts: tba August 2025. 7:15PM.  (date needs fixing)
• 1 Darley Park Weekender: 29–31 August 2025, Darley Park, DE1 3AY, ☏ +44 1332 255800, boxoffice@derby.gov.uk.
• Derby Festé: tba September 2025. Spectacular weekend of street arts events around the city centre. (date needs fixing)
• Derby Poetry Festival: tba October 2025. Developing new writing talent in Derby and bringing excellent work to the city. (date needs fixing)
• Derby Folk Weekend: tba October 2025.  (date needs fixing)
• Assemble: Derby’s Making Festival.: tba October 2025. A celebration of makers and all things making, at the Museum of Making. Meet the makers and discover what you can make! (date needs fixing)
• Derby Film Festival: tba November 2025. One of the leading regional film festivals in the UK, bringing together film fans, filmmakers and industry figures. (date needs fixing)
• Derby Book Festival - Autumn edition: 14–16 November 2025.

Learn

• Derby College, ☏ +44 300 123 7890, toll-free: 0800 028 0289. (updated Aug 2021)
• 1 Royal School for the Deaf, Ashbourne Road. It teaches British Sign Language. 
• 2 University of Derby, Main campus: Kedleston Road, ☏ +44 1332 590500. 

Buy

Sage Derby cheese

• 1 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 £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.  
• 2 Cathedral Quarter (near the old Market Place). Those spending time in the city should also visit the quaint streets, with their specialist shops, lush green spaces and some really comfortable bars and restaurants. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 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. (updated Sep 2016)
• 4 Meteor Centre, Mansfield Road. Retail park includes Morrisons supermarket and PC World. (updated Aug 2016)
• 5 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. (updated Nov 2023)

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

• 1 The Kitchen, 47 Sadlergate. Breakfast and lunch menus. 
• 2 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. 

Old Blacksmith's Yard, off Sadlergate

Indian

• 3 Anoki, 129 London Road, ☏ +44 1332 292888. Voted one of the UK's Top 10 Indian restaurants by The Times. 
• 4 Shalimar Gold, 15 Midland Road, ☏ +44 1332 366745, info@shalimargold.co.uk. (updated Jan 2017)
• 5 The Mogul Restaurant, 41-43 Green Lane, ☏ +44 1332 203343. 

Chinese

• 6 The Excelsior, 6-8 Becket Street, ☏ +44 1332 364907. 
• 7 Zing Vaa, 524-528 Burton Road, Littleover, ☏ +44 1332 294524. 
• 8 The New Water Margin, 72-74 Burton Road, ☏ +44 1332 290482. 

Italian

• 9 Antibo, 21 Midland Road. 
• 10 Dolce Salato (formerly Burley's), 32 Queen Street, ☏ +44 7428 062931. Italian cafe with hot or cold food to eat in or take away. 

Spanish

• 11 Lorentes, Darley Abbey Mills, The Cotton Yard, Darley Abbey, ☏ +44 1332 947490, darleyabbey@lorentes.co.uk. W-F 4PM–10PM, Sa noon–10PM, Su noon–8PM. Spanish tapas and wine. (updated May 2023)
  • 12 Lorentes (Friar Gate), 118 Friar Gate, Derby, ☏ +44 7508 706982, bookings@lorentes.co.uk. 

Japanese

• 13 MoonSha, 4 Friary Street, ☏ +44 1332 343288. 
• 14 Ebi Sushi, 59 Abbey Street, ☏ +44 1332 265656. 

Thai

• 15 Thai Boran, 50 Green Lane, ☏ +44 1332 405894. (updated Jun 2020)
• 16 Thai Dusit, 8 Bold Lane, ☏ +44 1332 372016. 

Greek

• 17 Zorba the Greek, 9-11 Bold Lane, Derby, DE1 3NT, ☏ +44 1332 949824, zorbaderby@gmail.com. Tu-F 5PM-10PM, Sa 12:30PM-10PM; Su 12:30PM-8PM. Eat in or take away. (updated Jul 2024)

Mexican

• 18 Pepitos, 127 London Road, ☏ +44 1332 360663. Mexican restaurant. (updated Jun 2020)

French

• 19 Le Bistrot Pierre, 18 Friar Gate, ☏ +44 1332 370470. 

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

The Dolphin

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:

• 1 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 à 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. 
• 2 The Old Bell Hotel, 51 Sadler Gate Derby DE1 3NQ, ☏ +44 1332 723090, events@bellhotelderby.co.uk. Su-Th noon-11PM; F Sa noon-1:30PM. Derby's last surviving coaching inn, built 1650. (updated Aug 2023)
• Exeter Arms, Exeter Place DE1 2EU, ☏ +44 1332 605323. Su-Th noon-11PM, F Sa noon-midnight. Popular pub with a good selection of ales. (updated Oct 2024)
• 3 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. 
• 4 Brunswick Inn, 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! 
• 5 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. 
• 6 Seven Stars, 97 King Street, ☏ +44 1332 340169. Traditional pub with real ales in a timber-framed building of around 1680. 

The Abbey Public House

• 7 The Abbey, Darley Street (2.5 km, pleasant walk along the river), ☏ +44 1332 558297. Traditional pub in remaining building of an Augustinian Abbey. 
• 8 Malt Shovel, Potter Street, Spondon (5 km, frequent buses), ☏ +44 1332 674203. Traditional pub interior. 
• 9 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 £130. (updated Jul 2020)
• Breweries: Derby Brewing are on Masons Place Business Park east edge of town, tours available.

Dancing Duck is in John Cooper Buildings off Ashbourne Rd.

Tiny Tap is in Darley Abbey.

Shiny Brewery is in Little Eaton.

• Distillery: Withers Gin is made on Mansfield Rd.

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Rangemoor Park Hotel, 67-71 Macklin Street, ☏ +44 1332 347252, fax: +44 1332 369319. Macklin Street. Standard and en-suite rooms available. Rates include breakfast and parking. 

Mid-range

• 2 Cathedral Quarter Hotel, 16 St Marys Gate, ☏ +44 1332 546080. This Grade II listed hotel is home to 38 luxury bedrooms with state-of-the-art technology, a mini spa and treatment rooms, conference rooms, residents' bar, private dining leading from the 80-cover fine dining restaurant in the grandeur of a ballroom, and the exclusive Chef's table experience, the first of its kind in the area. 
• 3 Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jurys Inn), King Street, ☏ +44 1332 621000, Derby@leonardohotels.com. (updated Dec 2022)
• 4 Hallmark Hotel Derby (Midland Hotel), Midland Road, ☏ +44 1332 345894. Part of the Best Western chain of hotels. Sits opposite the Derby Mainline station. 
• 5 Holiday Inn Riverlights, Morledge, ☏ +44 8714 234917. 
• 6 The Stuart Hotel, 119 London Road, ☏ +44 1332 340633. Best Western. 
• 7 Mickleover Court Hotel, Etwall Road, ☏ +44 1332 521234. Menzies Hotel. 
• 8 Breadsall Priory, Moor Road, Morley, ☏ +44 1332 832235. Part of the Marriott chain of hotels. 112 rooms in an over 750-year-old residence. 
• Best Western The Stuart Hotel, 119 London Road, DE1 2QR, ☏ +44 1332 340 633, thestuart01@gmail.com. Single and double rooms, executive double rooms and junior suites. (updated May 2019)
• 9 Coach House, 185A Duffield Rd, Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 1JB, ☏ +44 1332 554423. Comfy welcoming B&B in former mill village. B&B double £70. (updated Aug 2020)

Splurge

• 10 The Cow at Dalbury, The Green, Dalbury DE6 5BE, ☏ +44 1332 824297. Gastropub with rooms on the village green. B&B double £140. (updated May 2021)

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 — market town in attractive location near Dovedale and the Tissington Trail
• Buxton and The Peak District — 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 — 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 — home of the legend of Robin Hood, nowadays a popular destination for 'city breaks' thanks to its shopping and entertainment attractions.
• Sheffield — large city world-renowned for its steel industry and to another extent its cultural achievements, particularly in the area of popular music.
• Wirksworth — 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	→ East Midlands Airport → Leicester
Peak District ← Belper ←	N  SE	→ Shardlow → East Midlands Airport
Birmingham ← Burton-upon-Trent ←	SW  N	→ Ripley → Mansfield
Stoke-on-Trent ← Uttoxeter ←	W  E	→ merges with until Leicester
Leek ← Ashbourne ←	W  E	→ Beeston → Nottingham