Central School Document Library

School History

Darley Hall - a Touch of History

DARLEY ABBEY was originally an Augustinian priory, founded by Robert Ferrers, second Earl of Derby, around 1146. The Abbey became one of the most important in Derbyshire, but was surrendered as part of the Dissolution of Monasteries, in 1538, and almost totally obliterated. Robert Sacheverell, Esq., who took possession of the site as keeper of the abbey estate for the crown, purchased the materials. The church with its aisles, the Lady's chapel, St. Sythe's chapel, and the altars, candlesticks, organs, paving, timbers, gravestones, the roofs, etc. were valued to him at 26 pounds. The site was granted, in 1541, to Sir William West, who altered some of the convent buildings and built a new house there for his own residence: Darley abbey is mentioned as one of his seats in the Heralds' Visitation of 1569. His son sold it in 1574 to John Bullock, Esq. The Bullocks built the abbey house, and continued to possess the abbey estate for about eighty years. Thomas Goodbehere, who acquired it by two purchases, made in 1654 and 1656, left three daughters, co-heiresses. CLICK EACH BELOW PICTURE TO SEE IT ENLARGED
	The Alestreys purchased the greater part of the manor and the hall in 1672 and 1675. William Wolley Esq. of Derby, purchased the hall in 1709, and afterwards the manor; he had the hall rebuilt in 1727. The estate then became the property of Mr. Heath, a banker in Derby, on the sale of whose estates it was purchased by the late Robert Holden, Esq. The Hall was extended in the 1760's by Joseph Pickford

	For 120 years it was the home of the Evans family who built the cotton mill by the river in 1783. Darley Park, which borders the village, was landscaped by William Evans and had attractive flower beds, shrubberies and lawns running down to a stretch of the river Derwent. c. 1894. This picture and the next were taken at the same time from two different angles. Note the mature trees to the left of the pathway.

	This was also known as The Mansion and Darley Hall. It was built on the foundations of the Abbey for William Woolley by Francis Smith, 1723-25, causing Woolley to die heavily in debt. In 1777 Joseph Pickford extended the house for Robert Holden. In 1835 the Evans family moved here from Darley House, until 1929. From the 1930's until 1958, Derby Central School occupied the house. It was demolished in March 1962. What was later to become public parkland here appears to be rougher grazing pasture.

	A splendid interior of the Darley Hall.

	The gentry enjoy a day of boating on the River Derwent. Even in the 1950s these boats were still available for hire and a small ferry sometimes traversed the river to Darley Fields for a small fee.

	A more modern view. Note that the ivy on the house has been cut back and the parkland cut by gang mowers.

	Mowing the grass in Darley Park – 1950s Joe Thompson mowing the grass in Darley Park. Darley Hall (sometimes known as Darley Abbey) is in the background. The tall trees to the left of the main drive have now gone.

	The back driveway to Darley Park during pavement resurfacing. The entrance to Darley Grove is off the picture on the right, and Mile Ash Lane goes sweeping up to the right. Left heads down New Road into the old village.

	Derbyshire’s last working Toll Bar, pictured during the 1980s. This is a picture of the toll bar over the river at Darley Abbey near Darley Park. Mrs Wood is pictured on the left. Central School boys passed through the toll bar on the way to Darley Fields for cricket and football. Cross-country runners raced through it on the way to Haslams Lane and the fields to Ford Lane. We did not pay a toll! The toll bar marked the access to The Boar's Head cotton mill, founded by Thomas Evans in 1782 and re-built in 1789 after a fire. The East and West Mills were added in 1819-21. Four out of the five mills still remain today. The mills were used for the preparation of paper, Corn, Leather and for Fulling (treatment of cloth).

	In 1830 it employed 500 people. The Evans family created housing for it's mill workforce at Flat Square, Hill square, Brick Row and Mile ash lane. The workforce were well looked after, The houses were served by one of England's first sewage disposal systems. They built Saint Matthews church in 1819 and Saint Matthews School in 1826. The mills were sold by the Evans family in 1903, The paper mill on the village side of the river was demolished in 1934 but all other buildings remain. They are now used by businesses and a restaurant, and is part of The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.