Sitting about two miles north of Derby city centre along the A6 road, Allestree occupies the northernmost ward of the city. To its west and north it borders the district of Amber Valley, with Erewash touching its north-east corner. The ward of Mackworth lies to the south and Darley Abbey to the east. The area is largely residential in character, with remaining parts of the old village of Markeaton falling within the ward boundary.
History and Origins
Before the Norman Conquest, Allestree was a small hamlet within the holding of the Earl of Northumbria. By 1086 it appeared in the Domesday Book as Adelardestreu, recorded as an outlier of the Manor of Markeaton and held by Hugh, Earl of Chester. William the Conqueror granted it to Henry de Ferrers, and it later passed to the Touchet family of Markeaton. During the 12th century much of the land was sold to the Abbey of St Mary in Darley, then rented back to the Touchets. In 1516 Sir John Mundy purchased Allestree along with the Markeaton and Mackworth estates from Lord Audley, and the Mundy family retained ownership until selling to the Evans family in 1781. Derby City Council eventually acquired the estate in the early 20th century. Between 1660 and 1690, Derby was represented in Parliament by Roger Allestry and his son William Allestry, who took their surname from the village rather than giving it their name. Allestree became a parish in its own right in 1864, was incorporated into the Borough of Derby in 1968, and now falls within the unparished area of Derby. The civil parish recorded a population of 7,298 in 1961.
Conservation and Green Spaces
The old village centre, historically centred around St Edmund’s Church, was designated a Conservation Area by the City Council in September 1991. The designated area begins on Cornhill and takes in part of the golf course on Allestree Park, covering properties on St Edmund Close, Siddals Lane, The Poplars, the area north of Church Walk, and the adjacent Red Cow inn. The ward has two parks: Allestree Park to the north and Markeaton Park to the south. Markeaton Park attracts over one million visitors a year, making it the most used leisure facility in Derby. Shopping in the area is served by the Park Farm shopping centre, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013 and was among the largest centres of its kind in Europe when it first opened.