Monument record MDR10445 - Darley House (site of), Darley Abbey, Derby

Darley House was a fairly substantial seat built mainly of brick with some sparing Keuper sandstone dressings, perhaps by Thomas Gardner of Uttoxeter and incorporating ideas of William Strutt, FRS. The client was Walter Evans (1764-1839), the cotton spinner who built the village of Darley Abbey. After Walter's death the house passed (with the business) to his nephew Samuel. In 1844 Samuel moved to Darley Abbey Hall and the house was occupied by two of his sisters. On the death of the last survivor, it was let to the banker Col James Charles Cavendish who remained there until the period of World War One. Thereafter it became a school which fell victim to the recession in the early 1930s, leaving the house empty. It was regrettably demolished in 1934 and houses were built over the park. (1) Walter Evans (1764-1839) built a fine new house called Darley House (perhaps designed by his talented brother-in-law, William Strutt FRS) about 1790, but in about 1844 the Evans moved to Darley Hall. Darley House was demolished in 1934 by a developer. (2) Historic maps show that the house was originally called Mill Hill House. (3, 4) Darley House is shown on late 19th century OS maps with what is presumably a range of outbuildings to the north. A trough is named adjacent to an outbuilding (probably in a yard) on the 1st ed. 25" OS map of c. 1880, but is not named on subsequent editions. (5)