History & Heritage

The Cathedral Church of All Saints was founded in 943, and is at the heart of a modern city of making.  It is one of Derby’s most beautiful and historic sites and holds many important monuments of Derby’s and Derbyshire’s past.  Inside you will find many treasures such as the tomb of Bess of Hardwick, a memorial to Florence Nightingale and the impressive wrought iron screen by Robert Bakewell.   There is much to find out about the Cathedral’s stories and history.

Timeline of Derby Cathedral

943

The first church on this site dedicated to All Saints was founded by King Edmund of Wessex.

1510

The old church tower was taken down and work started on the construction of the tower we see today which was completed in 1530.

1725

Two years after the demolition of All Saints Church which left only the Tudor tower standing, Scottish architect James Gibbs completes work on the nave built in the classical Enlightenment style which we see today.

1927

The new Diocese of Derby comes into being and on the 27th October it is hallowed as a Cathedral.  The next day, The Right Revd Edmund Pearce is enthroned/installed as the first Bishop of Derby.

1965

Two eastward facing stained glass windows All Saints and All Souls by Welsh artist Ceri Richards are installed.

1973

Opening of the East End extension to the Cathedral designed by Sebastian Comper.

The Enlightenment

Derby Cathedral’s nave was re-built in 1725 to a Neo-Classical design by the architect James Gibbs.   The interior is unique in its simplicity and flooding of natural light, with only two modern stained glass windows.

To offset the plain interior, Gibbs introduced a wrought-iron chancel screen manufactured by local iron-smith Robert Bakewell, which extends across the width of the church and is a key feature of the Cathedral.

Take a read

Stories to discover

Bess of Hardwick (Elizabeth, the Countess of Shrewsbury) was a formidable woman who was ahead of her time.  In 1590 she purchased an area in the church to build a crypt to house her remains and those of her descendants.  As a result of her second marriage to Sir William Cavendish, there are now over forty coffins of the Cavendish family occupied in the vaults, including that of the equally famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

Bess of Hardwick’s flamboyant monument can be seen in the Cavendish area, a space representative of her and her family’s long association with the Cathedral.

There are many other stories to discover at Derby Cathedral, embodied in monuments and plaques such as Joseph Wright and Bonnie Prince Charlie. We hope you visit to find out more.

Visit us

Derby Cathedral,

18-19 Iron Gate,

Derby,

DE1 3GP

Call: 01332 341201

Email: office@derbycathedral.org

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We're open

Sunday 08:30 – 18:15
Monday 08:30 – 18:30
Tuesday 08:30 – 18:30
Wednesday 08:30 – 18:00
Thursday 08:30 – 18:30
Friday 08:30 – 17:00
Saturday 09:00 – 17:00

Registered Charity Number: 1207768.

Please check the Visit page for up to date information.

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