Derby

Sister cities

• Osnabrück
• Toyota

History

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. During the Jacobite rising of 1745, Jacobite Army troops led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart arrived in Derby on 4 December 1745, while on their way to London to attempt to overthrow the reigning House of Hanover. Stuart called at The George Inn on Irongate (where the Duke of Devonshire had set up his headquarters in late November after raising The Derbyshire Blues) and demanded billets for the 9,000 troops under his command. The prince stayed at Exeter House on Full Street, where he held a council of war on 5 December which decided to retreat. Stuart had received misleading information about a government army coming to meet him south of Derby. He abandoned his invasion at Swarkestone Bridge on the River Trent, a few miles south of Derby. The prince, who on the march from Scotland had walked at the front of the column, made the return journey on horseback at the rear of the bedraggled and tired army. Shrovetide football was played at Derby every year, possibly from as early as the 12th century. The town was split into…

Geography

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 from Coton in the Elms, the farthest place from coastal waters in the United Kingdom. The Derby Built-up Area (BUA) or Derby Urban Area is an area including Derby and adjoining built-up districts of Derbyshire,. The Office for National Statistics defines an urban area as one which is built upon, with nearby areas linked if within 200 metres. It had a total population of 270,468 at the time of the 2011 census. An increase of over 10% since the 2001 census recorded population of 236,738; comprising population increases since 2001 along with new minor residential areas, and larger sub-divisions. The Derby built-up area is considered to be most of the city, as well as outlying villages within the districts of Amber Valley and Erewash which adjoin the city. Because methods of measuring linked areas were redefined for the 2011 census, Breadsall, Duffield and Little Eaton were included. However, Quarndon was not considered at the time to be a component as it was marginally too distant. It extended south to small adjoining estates in the South Derbyshire district, at Boulton Moor/Thulston Fields,…

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13,169
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,183
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  11,429
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,109
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,832
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10,623
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10,423
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,282

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2023-06-28
  2 km SE of Cheadle, United Kingdom
• M 3.6 — 2022-05-30
  2 km ESE of Prees, United Kingdom
• M 3.2 — 2022-02-21
  5 km N of Hockley, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2015-09-22
  2 km W of Cottesmore, United Kingdom
• M 3.8 — 2015-01-28
  2 km WSW of Market Overton, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2014-10-28
  2 km NNE of Hucknall, United Kingdom