King Street Area
Click an image for a large framed picture, but please wait for all the pictures to load first

King Street is one of Derby’s ancient streets, unfortunately many of the buildings were demolished when St Alkmunds Way was constructed in 1967, including St Alkmunds church, the street also contains the only surviving purpose built marble works in England, the finest Palladian mansion townhouse outside of London, a historic pub built in 1680 and the road itself is part of the north south , as early as 1250, the stretch of road from Iron Gate to St Alkmund's was called "regiam viam" which is Latin for King's Street

Factoids

• The name Quakers originated from Derby
• Pickford's masterpiece, St Helens House still stands there
• The Seven Stars Public House was built in 1680
• The road is a prehistoric trackway dating back to 1250
• Home to England's only purpose built marble factory

St Mary's Church stands proud in the distance, Kings Street at the top of Queen Street sweeps around on the left of the picture and off into the distance, St Helens House is also visible to the left of the Church

The Flower Pot public house, this building dates from around 1800 and became a pub in mid 1840's, it was originally a three storey house. The origin of the name came as a result of Flower Shows being held in the nearby Drill Hall. The pub having been extended into the property next door, is deceptively spacious inside. It is both a real ale and music pub - but latter is kept separate to provide an area of comparative peace and quiet. At the beginning of the 20th century there was stabling and room for the same number of wagons.

St Helens House on the left standing on the slip road to St Alkmunds Way and virtually next door is St Mary's RC Church, shown on the right

Known affectionately as Pickford's masterpiece and built in 1767, St Helen’s House is one of the finest and largest eighteenth century townhouses to survive in any provincial city. Built for John Gisbourne of Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire, in 1767, this fine Palladian mansion once stood in 80 acres of parkland and was visited by society's elite, who would have been almost certainly entertained in some splendour. The house would have had all of the necessary accessories to have impressed the most influential people of the day. Grand balls and dinner parties would have been a regular occurrence at this grand house.

The first monastery in Derbyshire is believed to have existed on the site prior to the present building being erected. In 1137 a man called 'Ibvi gifted a parcel of land to be used as an oratory (chapel) which was dedicated to St Helen and served by a community of Augustinian canons.

War Memorial at St Helen’s House, remembering the members of the former Derby Grammar School who fell at the great war, a further inscription was later added remembering the fallen at the second great war

This Portland stone monument was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and stands in front of St Helens House, and is also visible in the picture below left.

St Helen's House has had several uses in its time including once being owned by William Strutt, eldest son of the industrialist Jedediah Strutt, who made many improvements to the interior.

A rare postcard below left, of Derby Grammar School, with a similar view below right, taken in 2006, I wonder if it's the same tree!

Derby School took over from the Strutt family in 1861 and by 1871 the accommodation was found to be insufficient, so a new building was commissioned it was designed by Edwin Thompson and Julian Young, who tried to replicate the splendour of Pickfords original, Charles Humpherys was the builder, who started work in 1874, it was finally opened by Edward Prince of Wales 0n 19th November 1877, and is shown here below right, the new red-brick chapel is also shown below left

Today the building is the property of Derbyshire County Council, and houses an adult education centre, the future of this grand house is still uncertain

Seven Stars pub, the original building dates from 1680; it was renamed the Seven Stars in 1749, and remains little altered to this day. The old porcelain works used to stand nearby, when customers were supplied with china tankards instead of glasses to drink the beer.

Above are two views looking up Duffield Road towards the five lamps, opposite is an old 1960's traffic signpost just round the corner on Lodge Lane, whilst below is an old cast iron sign "To The Market" above the shop on the corner of King Street and Lodge Lane

Looking along Kings Street, from the slip road to the inner ring road, St Helens House is on the right (out of view) and the Seven Stars is just visible in the foreground.

Below right is a view of Kings Street in front of the office buildings taken from the Inner Ring Road and looking across the former Bridgegate car dealership, the Cathedral is in the distance, below left is the St Mary's Convent and Church

No 2-8 St Helens Street, the former Marble Works, and Englands only purpose built spar factory is sited right on the corner with Kings Street, built in 1816 by Joseph Hall, who also built No 10 (below) the three storey house next door

This property has decorated leaded fanlights, lettered “Bellhanger”, and two tall windows left and right, left fanlight “Locksmith”, right “Gas fitter” all under semi-circular stone heads, shown below right

Old bus depot, used by Champions Gym and the Derby furniture project

Vacant land at the top of St Helens Street, with Capri Motors and some small units below, these are opposite the friends meeting house

The Friends Meeting House, St Helens Street, Built in 1808 for the Quakers.

"George Fox was on trial for his religious beliefs bade the court ‘To tremble at the word of the Lord’ to which the justice, Gervase Bennett, responded by calling Fox and his supporters ‘Quakers’, a name that still remains.!"