Derby

Derby is a town with a rich and interesting past and despite being the major city in the county of Derbyshire it is also the most rural area. It is a city that offers diversity in arts and entertainment as well as having a rich heritage that it can also draw upon to attract visitors of all ages.  There is something in Derby for everyone regardless of age or interests as Derby seems to be constantly evolving and moving with the changing times. The city has a vibrant heart from which you can journey out and explore just what this incredible place has to offer its visitors.

When it comes to history there are links here that date back to the pre-historic as well as the time of the Roman invasion and occupation, then there is all of the history and invention of the industrial revolution too. Whatever your favourite period of history Derby probably has it covered. One of the reasons why this area made the perfect place for an early settlement was the River Derwent, it was a difficult river to cross as it was prone to floods which could have seen many travellers ending their journey here and creating settlements.

Roman Derby

The first evidence to support the existence of a Roman settlement here dates right back to the first and second centuries. The settlement had the name of Derventino and was a good sized stronghold; it later became known as Little Chester. It was not until almost a hundred years after the departure of the Romans that the Saxons came to the area. They formed a new settlement which grew rapidly, based around the Markeaton Brook as it offered a plentiful source of fresh clean water.

Many of the region of Derby gained their names during the Saxon period, names which they carry to this day. This is the time when the foundations of the town as we know it today were laid. For three hundred years the Saxons were in residence until the Danes arrived. These settlements feature in the Doomsday Book with many details surviving about who owned and worked the land here, as it was a mainly agricultural based market town.

Modern Derby

The town continued to expand, right up until the industrial revolution in the eighteenth century, this saw lots of the land that had once been given over to agriculture having large factories built upon it. The town grew prosperous, aside from the wealth of industries that found a home here, Derby also became home to the railway, with the railways creating new and fast links to other areas of the country, larger and wealthier industries moved in such as Rolls Royce.

Today Derby is a thriving city with plenty of things to do in and around the locality. The people of Derby are very proud of the history and heritage of their city and aim to make it as an enjoyable place to live as possible for generations of families to come.