| Notes | The 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 Monastries, 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. 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 Robert Holden, Esq. (1722-1808) of the Holden family of Nuthall Temple. The Hall was extended in the 1760s by architect Joseph Pickford. On Robert Holden's death in 1808, the hall was inherited by his cousin Robert Holden (1769-1844). This second Robert Holden was married to Mary Anne Drury Lowe (1783-1840), the daughter of William Drury of Locko Park.
In 1835, Darley Hall became the home of the Evans family, who owned the prosperous cotton spinning mill and paper mill in Darley Abbey. 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. In 1931, the Evans family gave the hall and park to the city of Derby. The Hall was used as a school before it was demolished in 1962. |