Derby
 Cathedrals |
Derby is the hub of South Derbyshire, and one of England's newest cities, having that honour bestowed upon it in 1977 by Queen Elizabeth II during a Silver Jubilee visit. Derby's history however, stretches back to the Roman occupation, when the invading Roman troops fortified the site in the 2nd century AD, and remained for another 300 years. Despite the length of Roman occupation, later waves of Danish invaders were to have a greater influence upon the settlement. The name Derby is derived from the Danish deoraby , meaning ‘the place of the deer'.
As far back as the Norman Conquest Derby was a prosperous town, having a population of more than 2000 and no fewer than six churches. From being a busy market town it later developed as a manufacturing centre, making woollen cloth, beer and soap. In 1717 came a revolution, England's first silk mill was established at Derby, which was to produce world- renowned silk of the highest quality. The town's prosperity increased in conjunction with its silk output and some of Derby's grandest 18 th century houses date from this period. The original mill, still standing in Full Street, is now a museum and houses industrial archaeology.
The mill gates, made in 1725, are still there and are regarded as among the finest examples of wrought-iron work in Britain. Derby's 18 th century prosperity occasioned only one brief interruption - in 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie finally called a halt to his advance on London at Derby, and his Highland army entered the town on December 4 th . They stayed only two days before retreating north to their eventual encounter with fate at bloody Culloden.
Derby is particularly renowned for porcelain; this industry began in the city in 1756 when William Duesbury established himself there, and set out to create china of unrivalled beauty. George III became a patron, and granted Duesbury licence to stamp a crown on his wares. In 1890, Queen Victoria commanded that they be marked ‘Royal Crown Derby', now famous throughout the world as a sign of the highest quality. Guided tours are available around the factory and its museum.
Perhaps equal on merit is Derby's long association with motor cars and aero engines, this being the hometown of Rolls Royce Ltd. Here it was in 1907 that the engineer Henry Royce founded his factory, together with businessman-financier C.S.Rolls, and produced the epitome of luxury cars - the Rolls Royce. A statue of Sir Henry Royce stands in the Arboretum, which was opened in 1840 as Britain's first public park.
Much of old Derby survives in streets like Friar Gate with its elegant Georgian houses, and in the ancient church of St Werburgh - here, a register records the marriage of Dr Samuel Johnson in 1735 to Elizabeth ‘Tetty' Porter. St Mary's Chapel, constructed as a part of St Mary's Bridge that sits astride the River Derwent, dates from the 14 th century, and is one of the few surviving bridge chapels in the country. St Peter's is the oldest church in Derby, dating from Norman times, although much that remains to us is 14 th century in origin. The City Museum and Art Gallery opened in 1879 and the oldest of Derby's museums, houses exhibitions of natural history, archaeology, military and social history. Derby Cathedral, until 1927 simply the parish church of All Saints, has a soaring 178ft high pinnacled tower - this is the earliest part of the church built during the reign of Henry VIII in 1525. The cathedral was later restored in 1725, by James Gibbs.