Derby Cathedral Quarter - At the Heart of City Life

by Denis Eardley

The Old Assembly Rooms in Derby Market Place, photographed by C.B. Keene, in 1931

The opening of the Westfield Centre in Derby on October 9 2007 brought about a dramatic change to shopping in the city. Sleek floor-to-ceiling shop fronts, changing mood lighting and the names of top brand stores were brought together under one roof.

There is, though, as local people know and visitors will find out, much more to the Derby shopping experience than this sparkling new centre.

From seeking out hidden gems in The Lanes to enjoying the unique quality of The Cathedral Quarter with its arcades, hidden entrances, numerous specialist stores and independent retailers, Derby is an exciting place to shop.

Exploration of the Cathedral Quarter reveals far more than its wide range of shops with their designer clothes, shoes, gifts, books and crafts from across the globe.

Contemporary art galleries and interior design stores combine with specialist retailers, including music, electrical and gadget shops. There are also luxury beauticians and contemporary hairdressing salons.

The Quarter is a great place to eat and drink, with the tempting aroma of pastries and fresh coffee helping to create a vibrant cafe culture.

There is also a wide variety of restaurants, serving cuisine from around the world.

At night, the area is particularly lively with traditional pubs and modern wine bars bustling with activity.

If you are looking for entertainment and culture, the Assembly Rooms and Guildhall Theatre offer everything from plays and concerts to pantomimes.

Derby City Museum and Art Gallery houses the prestigious Joseph Wright collection of paintings, including 18th-Century portraits.

The Silk Mill – Derby’s Museum of Industry and History is now a World Heritage Site.

Much of the attractions mentioned are housed in some of Derby’s most historically important buildings.

The Market Place pictured before the removal of the wholesale market in 1925

In this look at the hidden gems of the Cathedral Quarter, we start in the Market Place, which almost certainly did not come into existence until around 1100.

An ancient trackway used to run along the south side of where the Market Place now stands and was in existence many years before Derby came onto the scene.

After the Norman Conquest, rapid expansion of the settlement took place and other markets sprang up. In the Cornmarket, grain was traded, while at the top end of Friar Gate, farm animals were bought and sold, along with produce.

A market was also developed in the Morledge, where fairs were held.

The Market Place has been extended over the years and through traffic removed. It is now large enough to serve as an event space, with the potential to host lots of different activities that add to Derby’s public life.

Last Christmas and New Year, an ice skating rink proved a very popular attraction.

And its tradition of holding markets is also not forgotten. A monthly farmers’ market brings a range of locally-grown produce into the city.

The Big Screen, in the Market Place, makes Derby unique in the East Midlands. It connects the city to the seven other screen cities in the UK, as well as screens across the rest of the world.

Everything from live opera performances, concerts, interactive games, events and videos from local bands, to up-to-date information on Derby are shown here, together with regularly updated city diary listings.

The demolition of Newcastle House, in 1971, to make way for the new Assembly Rooms

A large part of the top side of the Market Place is taken up by the Assembly Rooms, which were built by Casson, Conder and Partners between 1973 and 1977.

The new building replaced the 17th-Century Newcastle House and Old Assembly Rooms, which had been gutted by fire in 1963.

The main building was demolished but the facade was carefully removed and re-erected at the National Tramway Village at Crich.

The Assembly Rooms is Derby’s leading entertainment venue. It promotes a year-round programme of arts and entertainment, including an orchestral season, comedy, rock and pop events, family entertainment, such as the annual pantomime, dance, drama and children’s shows.

It also offers space for a range of events including conferences, corporate presentations, trade exhibitions, dinner dances and weddings.

Along with the Guildhall, the Assembly Rooms will be hosting the Camra Real Ale Beer Festival in July.

Lloyd’s Bank, on the corner of Sadler Gate and the Market Place, in the 1940s. The building was built by the same firm responsible for nearby Francey’s House

On the Iron Gate side of the Market Place, Francey’s House particularly attracts the eye. An eight-bay, four-storey house, it once had two first-floor rooms with frescoed ceilings by Francis Bassano.

It was built in 1695 for Alderman William Francey and replaced a previous house built by his uncle 55 years earlier.

Another building fronting on to the Market Place, currently occupied by Lloyds Bank, was built by the same builder as Francey’s House, at the turn of the 18th Century.

This building was, at one time, occupied by Bemrose, the well-known Derby printing firm. The arrival of the railway in 1839 and the award of the contract to print the timetables and stationery led to them eventually moving to larger premises.

They have now grown to such an extent that they are based on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1745, the building was commandeered by Colonel Gordon of Glenbucket, for the period of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s stay in Derby.

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