History of Derby Market Hall

Derby Market Hall's foundation stone was laid in February 1864, and the market was officially opened to the public in 1866 by the Mayor of Derby, Thomas Roe Esq.

The Grade II-listed building cost £29,000 to build and was a project of Melbourne engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, who is noted for the design of many iconic London landmarks. Ordish’s work includes the Albert Bridge, the dome at the Royal Albert Hall, and, together with William Barlow, his detailed work on the single spanned roof of St Pancras station, which has a comparable splendour to the roof of Derby Market Hall.

The Market Hall underwent a multi-million pound transformation in 1989, and during this time construction workers discovered unique traces of Derby’s past, including a well measuring six feet wide and thirty feet deep. Experts believe the well could have served buildings which stood on the site prior to 1864.

Tunnels running between the Lock-Up Yard and the Guildhall were also discovered and were probably used to move prisoners between the two sites.

The Market Hall was reopened by HRH Princess Margaret Countess of Snowden on 27 November 1989 following the last restoration project.