Derby Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of All Saints, looms over the atmospheric streets of Derby’s Cathedral Quarter. A church has stood at the same site in the city ever since King Edmund established a place of worship in A.D. 943. Today’s magnificent Derby Cathedral was constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries. Enjoy views of four counties from the clock tower, observe a family of resident peregrines and attend musical events.
The cathedral displays elements of architectural aspects from the Gothic, Georgian and neoclassical periods. Guarding the entrance is a set of ornate gates relocated from the nearby street St. Mary’s Gate. They were renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Gates in 2012 to mark the queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Gaze up at the 212-feet (64-meter) tall Tudor clock tower, decorated on all four sides with bas-reliefs and gargoyles. A family of peregrine falcons nest on a ledge situated on the tower’s eastern face. From May to July you can watch them via telescopes set up in Cathedral Green, at the rear of the building.
Guided tours of the tower will take you up a staircase of 189 steps to a viewing platform. Look down on the Cathedral Quarter and out across the surrounding countryside, which incorporates the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. Listen to the midday chime of the Smith of Derby carillon. This is the world’s oldest-working set of 10 bells, with the oldest dating back to 1520.
Historical treasures add artistic beauty to the apse and nave. See the elaborate mausoleum of Bess of Hardwick, a four-time married aristocratic woman of the Elizabethan era. Other features are a wrought-iron rood screen by Robert Bakewell, a tablet dedicated to Bonnie Prince Charlie and a memorial plaque of local painter Joseph Wright.
The cathedral is 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) north of Derby’s train station. Several city hotels are within comfortable walking distance from the attraction.
Derby Cathedral is open daily and admission is free. A fee is applicable for the tower tour. Ask at the welcome desk about events such as choir concerts, organ recitals and performances by local bands.