Derby A History

DERBY’S history dates back over 2,000 years to when the Celtic Brigantine tribe inhabited the area on the banks of the River Derwent. Then the Romans took control, subjugating the Celtic sites before building a more permanent fort which they called Derventio. Later, the Angles and the Danes settled here, giving it the name Deoraby. Over the centuries, and with a slight name change, Derby grew as an important administrative and trading centre. Its strategic position on the banks of the River Derwent was ideal for the early experimentation of water power and industrialisation. The building of England’s first Silk Mill on the banks of the River Derwent at Derby in 1717 was a breakthrough. Its success led the way for the Industrial Revolution, creating a model followed by others throughout the world.

Royal Crown Derby is the world’s oldest fine china brand manufactured exclusively in Derby since 1748. The town was the power centre of the nineteenth-century railway boom, and in 1904 the first car was produced at the newly formed Derby works of Rolls-Royce. The face of Derby has changed considerably. It’s still a major commercial centre at the forefront of technical research and industrial development, but it’s also a vibrant new city with a varied and exciting history.