Sitting on the northern edge of Derby city centre, Darley Park runs along the western bank of the River Derwent and covers 80 acres of steeply banked, wooded ground. It is the largest component of the Darley Open Spaces, a collection of adjacent park areas on both sides of the Derwent that together sit at the gateway to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The other areas within the Darley Open Spaces include Derwent Park, Parker’s Piece, Chester Green, Darley Fields, and Nutwood Nature Reserve, though the name Darley Park is often applied loosely to the whole group.
Getting There and Getting Around
There are five entrances to Darley Park. The southernmost, off North Parade, is the closest to the city centre and connects via Handyside Bridge to Parker’s Piece and Chester Green on the opposite bank. Access is also possible from Derwent Park along pathways off Duffield Road and Belper Road, and two further entrances lead in from Darley Abbey Village – one off New Road and one at the northern tip of the park near Deans Field. Two free car parks serve the park, one at the Darley Road entrance and one at Deans Field.
History and Gardens
The land was donated to the people of Derby in 1929 by the Evans family, local mill owners, and the park was officially opened on 30 June 1931 by the Duke of Kent. Thousands attended that day, including around 4,000 local children. Markeaton Park was also opened later the same day. A Georgian mansion once stood within the grounds, but was demolished in the 1960s after being declared unsafe. Its footprint became a paved garden, and bricks salvaged from the building were later used in the pillars of the tearoom’s outdoor seating area. On the horticultural side, Darley Park holds the largest collection of hydrangeas in Britain and the third largest in the world. First planted in 1984, the collection now runs to over 400 varieties and is maintained by volunteers through a group called Hydrangea Derby, a subgroup of the Friends of Darley Open Spaces. Open days with free guided tours are held each summer, and a butterfly garden sits alongside the hydrangea beds.
Events
The Darley Park Concert takes place annually and is hosted by Derby Live. The park’s natural bowl shape, formed by the steep rise of around 30 metres from the river level, creates an effective outdoor amphitheatre for the occasion.