Derby

The Roman camp of Derventio is considered to have been at Little Chester/Chester Green (grid reference SK353375), the site of the old Roman fort. Later, the town was one of the "Five Boroughs" (fortified towns) of the Danelaw, until it was captured by Lady Æthelflæd of Mercia in July 917, after which the town was annexed to the Kingdom of Mercia. The Viking name Djúra-bý, recorded in Old English as Deoraby, means "village of the deer". However, the origin of the name Derby has had multiple influences: a variation of the original Roman name Derventio with pronunciation of the letter "v" as "b", becoming Derbentio, and later Derby, along with a link to the river Derwent – from the Celtic meaning "valley thick with oaks" – which flows through the city, triggering a shortened version of Derwent by, meaning 'Derwent settlement'. …

During the Civil War of 1642–1646, Derby was garrisoned by Parliamentary troops commanded by Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet, who was appointed Governor of Derby in 1643. These troops took part in the defence of nearby Nottingham, the siege of Lichfield, the battle of Hopton Heath and many other engagements in Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, as well as successfully defending Derbyshire against Royalist armies. The first civic system of piped water in England was established in Derby in 1692, using wooden pipes, which was common for several centuries. The Derby Waterworks included waterwheel-powered pumps for raising water out of the River Derwent and storage tanks for distribution. This was designed and built by local engineer George Sorocold. …

Derby is in a relatively low-lying area along the lower valley of the River Derwent, where the south-east foothills of the Pennines adjoin the lowlands and valley of the River Trent to the south. The city is bordered by four national character areas, the Trent Valley Washlands to the south, the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfields in the east, the South Derbyshire Claylands in the west, and the Derbyshire Peak Fringe in the north. Most of the flat plains surrounding Derby lie in the Trent Valley Washlands and South Derbyshire Claylands, while the hillier, northern parts of the city lie within the Derbyshire Peak Fringe and the Coalfields. The city is around 16 miles (26 km) from Coton in the Elms, the farthest place from coastal waters in the United Kingdom. …

On 8 October 2021 it was announced that Derby had been included in the longlist of bids to host UK City of Culture 2025, but in March 2022 it failed to make it onto the shortlist. Derby is known by many locals as "Derbados"; a portmanteau of Derby and Barbados. Also see List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom. The indie pop band White Town, fronted by Jyoti Mishra, is from Derby, and his video "Your Woman", features scenes from the city centre. "Your Woman" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1997. Founding member and songwriter of Mercury Prize nominated alternative rock band Maxïmo Park and solo artist Duncan Lloyd is from Derby. His band hit the number 2 spot in the U.K. album charts in 2020, with the album Nature Always Wins. Pop singer Kelli Young (born 7 April 1982) is from Derby. She is best known as a member of the pop group Liberty X. …

Derby's two biggest employers, Rolls-Royce Holdings and Toyota, are engaged in engineering manufacturing. Other companies of note include railway systems engineering firm Alstom, who manufacture railway rolling stock at Derby Litchurch Lane Works; First Source, who deal with much of Sky's telephone support; and Triton Equity, who took over Alstom's manufacturing plant for large power plant boilers and heat exchangers in 2014. Derby power station on Silkmill Lane supplied electricity to the town and the surrounding area from 1893 until its closure in 1969. From 1922 Sinfin Lane was the home of the 62-acre (250,000 m2) site of International Combustion, originally manufacturers of machinery for the automatic delivery of pulverised fuel to furnaces and boilers, and later producing steam-generating boilers for use in electrical generating plant such as used in power stations. …

Derby Cathedral tower is 212 ft (65 m) tall to the tip of the pinnacles. This has been home to a pair of breeding peregrine falcons since 2006, monitored by four webcams. Derby Gaol is a visitor attraction based in the dungeons of the Derbyshire County Gaol, which dates back to 1756. Derby Museum of Making is housed in Derby Silk Mill and shows the industrial heritage and technological achievement of Derby, including Rolls-Royce aero engines, railways, mining, quarrying and foundries. The Silk Mill stands at the southern end of the 24 km (15 mi) stretch of the River Derwent designated a World Heritage Site in 2001. On 10 May 2022, the Museum of Making was short-listed for the 2022 Art Fund Museum of the Year award, and in 2024 it was one of six museums to receive a special commendation in the European Museum of the Year Awards. …