Derby Heritage Walk 2 - Discover Derby

This walk explores the city centre and on average, it is likely to take about three quarters of an hour, but with Derby City Museum and Art Gallery and Derby Heritage Centre on the route, do not be surprised if it takes a lot longer.

The Heritage Centre is an excellent place to stop off for refreshments and also to have a look around. It is in the ownership of the local entrepreneur, Richard Felix, who in the last ten years has done much to put Derby on the tourist map, particularly as a result of introducing ‘Ghost Walks’ and his involvement with television. The premises were built in 1554, when Queen Mary awarded a grant to the town for a grammar school to be built. John Flamsteed, who became Astronomer Royal and the famous artist Joseph Wright both, attended the school.

Derby City Museum and Art Gallery, houses the prestigious Joseph Wright collection of paintings. A programme of special exhibitions supports permanent displays relating to the city’s archaeology, history, wildlife and local regiments. The brand new Ceramics Gallery provides an additional attraction. Open daily apart from during the Christmas and New Year Break.

I. The walk sets off from outside the Tourist Information Centre, and crosses the north side of the Market Place, where Farmers’ Markets are regularly held.

II. Turn to the right up Iron Gate and almost immediately go left by the side of Lloyds Bank into Sadler Gate. It is the only major street in the city to have retained its medieval street dimensions and not been the subject of widening. The majority of buildings have Georgian façades that hide building work from earlier periods.

III. Turn to the right at the bottom of the street and where it ends go over the pedestrian crossing, walk down Cheapside and turn left along The Wardwick.

IV. Continue along Victoria Street, named after Queen Victoria,to commemorates her coronation in 1837. The Markeaton Brook had until that time run openly along Brookside, before it was culverted and the street given its present name.

V. At the corner of Debenhams Store turn right, and walk up Green Lane and then go to the left along St Peter’s Churchyard, another street to have been part pedestrianised.

VI. Walk up St Peter’s Street to the rather oddly named area, known as ‘The Spot’. It is something of a mystery as to how it got its name in the first place and although there are several theories, no one seems to know precisely.

VII. From The Spot walk in an easterly direction along London Road and enter the Eagle Centre, the city’s main shopping centre.

VIII. Continue to maintain the same direction through the Eagle Centre before turning left opposite the Playhouse Theatre, to walk through the indoor market – that replaces the former outdoor market whict once stood on the Morledge. Once outside, turn left and then right leading down to Albert Street.

IX. Walk through Osnabruck Square and round the corner of the Market Hall and enter it by the side door.

X. The galleried Market Hall is worthy of close inspection before leaving over the wooden cobbles and re-entering the Market Place and returning to the starting point of the walk.

1. MARKET PLACE	PAGE 1	15. DERBY HERITAGE CENTRE (Closed 2005)
2. WAR MEMORIAL		16. THE OLD BOOTS BUILDING	PAGE 5
3. THE WATERFALL		17. ST PETER'S CHURCH
4. GUILDHALL		18. THE SPOT
5. OLD BELL HOTEL	PAGE 2	19. ZANZIBAR
6. OLD BLACKSMITH'S YARD		20. THE PLAYHOUSE THEATRE	PAGE 6
7. STRAND ARCADE		21. EAST STREET
8. ST WERBURGH'S CHURCH	PAGE 3	22. THE DERBY RAM STATUE
9. DERBY MUSEUM AND FREE LIBRARY		23. CORN EXCHANGE
10. JACOBEAN HOUSE		24. OSNABRUCK SQUARE
11. MECHANICS' INSTITUTION		25. MORLEDGE	PAGE 7
12. ST JAMES' STREET	PAGE 4	26. THE COUNTY COURT
13. DEBENHAMS		27. THE MARKET HALL
14. DERBY HIPPODROME

To obtain further information about a point of interest, click the appropriate page number, or to take the full tour go to page one and follow the instructions.

DISCOVER
DERBY
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