Welcome To Derby Ghost
Capital Of England --Assembly Rooms
The Assembly Rooms
Assembly Rooms
As in other towns, the Assembly
Rooms in Derby was a popular
meeting place in the 18th century,
where young people danced and the
elderly people played cards whilst
keeping a watchful eye on their
offspring. The aim of an assembly was to bring all sorts and classes of
people together harmoniously, but in Derby this was not to be,
certainly not around 1714 as there had evolved two very separate
assemblies: one at the corner of the Market Place and Full Street for
the gentry of the county and one for the lesser mortals of the town.
This second assembly was situated at Moote Hall or meeting place, part
of which still exists, although now incorporated into the modern facade
of the Derbyshire Building Society on the corner of the Market Place
and Iron Gate.
A bizarre incident happened there on the night of 5
December 1745. People had come from far and wide to a reception held
there for Prince Charles Edward Stuart, who had arrived in Derby on his
way to take the English crown. The crush of people was so great that a
table bearing the Royal Standard was overturned and the standard was
broken. This was considered a bad omen by many of the prince's army
and, although the decision was taken on military grounds alone,
following that fateful reception the order was given for the retreat of
the Highland army back north. There eventually followed, of course, the
Battle of Culloden, the slaughter and transportation of hundreds of
Scots, the burning of their homes, the killing of their cattle and
eventually, the Highland Clearances.
A county assembly had been built in Derby in 1714, and an
even larger building was erected on the Market Place in 1763. This was
badly damaged by fire 200 years later and a much larger Assembly Rooms,
opened in 1977, now occupies the old site on the Market Place,
including the site of the Duke of Newcastle's house, where King Charles
I stayed in 1637. The modern Assembly Rooms complex still provides
entertainment for Derbyshire people as well as playing host to national
exhibitions and sporting events.
According to many people, the present building is haunted. Mick Taylor,
the house manager, was in the building at 3am one morning, standing in
the concourse with his back to the Darwin Suite. Also present was
another member of staff. Mr Taylor turned around - why, he did not know
- and saw an elderly lady dressed in Victorian costume. She appeared to
have no legs and seemed to be floating. He alerted his colleague, who
also turned around, and both witnessed the figure gliding across the
floor before disappearing.
On many other occasions, security guards have seen what appeared to be
a ring of children dancing in the Darwin Suite and have often reported
the eerie sounds of laughter when there is no one in the building.
The new Assembly Rooms were built between 1973 and 1977. As the
footings and foundations were being installed a builder reported seeing
what he believed, along with several work colleagues, to be the remains
of an old Viking ship, and of course this is quite feasible as the site
is close to the River Derwent. He reported the matter to his superiors
but was told that because of a penalty clause in the contract, the work
had to be finished on time and so hundreds of tons of concrete were
poured over the remains of what might have proved to be one of Derby's
most important links with the past.
Assembly Rooms