Darley Abbey

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View of the toll bridge and mill across the River Derwent
View of the toll bridge and mill across the River Derwent

Darley Abbey is a village on the outskirts of Derby, England. The village is located on the River Derwent and is associated with the world heritage site of Derwent Valley Mills.

Contents

[edit] History

Darley Abbey was originally the site of an Augustinian priory called Darley Abbey (or Darley Priory) which was established in 1137 and dedicated to St Helena. It had originally been founded in Derby by Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby and later removed to Darley. The Abbot was granted by this Earl and some of his successes many privileges in Duffield Forest and Chase.[1] The Abbey owned and operated the original Derby School, but it was almost totally obliterated during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The only remaining building from the monastic period is now a public house.

The mill was built in 1783 by Thomas Evans, who hailed from a family with interests in lead iron and copper. Initially, he partnered with Richard Arkwright and Jedediah Strutt in the venture. It was a six storey building powered by water, with an enormous weir across the river. It was destroyed by fire in 1788 and rebuilt with sheets of tin nailed to the beams as protection.[2]

By 1830, Evans constructed a factory village of three-storey cottages across the river from the mill for his 500 employees. This village, along with its toll road, still exists today. The toll road serves as a short cut between the A6 and the Ripley Road. In 1970, the entire area was made into a conservation area, leading to it being named the Derwent Valley Mills heritage area.

Visit the Derby City Council website to findout more about Darley Park.

[edit] Features

  • Darley Park is a picturesque park featuring many different gardens and wildlife areas.
  • Saint Benedict Catholic School is one of the largest schools in Derby with around 1500 pupils. The school dates back to 1986, but with several schools previously occupying the site including St Ralph Sherwin.
  • Saint Mary's Catholic School is a historic coeducational Catholic school that can trace its roots back to 1813/1814 and has since moved to a new building on three separate occasions.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bland, W., 1887 Duffield Castle: A lecture at the Temperance Hall, Wirksworth Derbyshire Advertiser
  2. ^ Cooper, B., (1983) Transformation of a Valley: The Derbyshire Derwent, Heinemann, republished 1991 Cromford: Scarthin Books

[edit] External links


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Suburbs of Derby, Derbyshire, England

Coordinates: 52°56′37, N°1′28